famous gemstone blocks in Vietnam

These gemstone blocks are the most unique in Vietnam and their prices are estimated at thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions of US dollars.
The jade block owned by artisan Dao Trong Cuong

The most famous gemstone block in Vietnam is the 35-ton jade block owned by artisan Dao Trong Cuong. It is 3 meter high, 2.3m wide and 2.4m thick, mined from the largest jade mine in Myanmar. Cuong bought it in 2009, at the cost of $1.5 million.
This jade block is rare because it is very big and it still has a strong green color, said Dr. Phan Truong Thi, Director of the Vietnam Institute for Gemstones and Jewelry. In the world of gemstones, jade is at the top.

This gemstone block is considered the largest in the world. It will become the largest jade Buddha statue in Vietnam and the whole world. Once it is completed, the statue will be 16 tons in weight, 3m in height, 2m in width and 1m in length.
The gemstone block at Do Temple, Bac Ninh province

This 20-ton gemstone is worth around VND125 million ($7000). However, its historical origins make the gemstone special.
The stone block was the gift of businessmen in Tu Mac village to the Do Temple.  Tu Mac village in Nam Dinh province is believed to be the home of Kings of Tran Dynasty and Do Temple is a place of worship for the eight kings of the Ly Dynasty.

The stone block was bought from the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. It was polished and brought to Do Temple in Bac Ninh. The stone block has eight layers of stone, equivalent to eight kings of the Ly Dynasty.
With its meaning as the historical transition between two dynasties – Ly and Tran – it is one of the most famous gemstone blocks in Vietnam.
Elephant-shaped stone block in Gia Lai

This natural agate block in the shape of an elephant was excavated from the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. It is over 13 tons in weight. It is now displayed in a garden in Bac Ninh province.
The elephant is carved by the nature on an agate block of 4 million years old.

Dr. Phan Truong Thi, director of the Institute for Gemstone and Jewelry of Vietnam, said that around 13 million years ago, the Central Highlands was flooded with basalt lava, only four million years ago did the lava cool and  formbthe Central Highlands. Air blocks in the lava flow were also frozen to make agate blocks with weird shapes and various colors. The elephant-shaped agate block is one of them.
The eight-sign figure stone block in Bac Ninh

A famous businessmen in Bac Ninh province, Nguyen Nhan Phuong, bought this 3.4 ton stone block from the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, at the price of VND50 million ($3,000).
It is special because of its shape, which looks like the Eight Trigrams, which is often placed at the gate to expel demons and evils.
Agate block in the shape of a nest of eagle eggs

One of the stone blocks that captured the eyes of visitors at the exhibition of the most special ornamental trees and items in Vietnam on the occasion of the 1000^th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi is the agate block owned by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lieu from Pleiku city, Gia Lai province.
The natural agate block looks like a big nest of eagle eggs, with hundreds of big, red and shiny eggs.

Dr. Phan Truong Thi said that these wonderful eggs from the nature were “hatched” in  temperatures of up to thousands of degrees Celsius to become gemstones.
“Eggs means the future living buds. Gem is the symbol of everlasting beauty. The two beauties are combined to make the value of this gemstone block,” Thi said.