The World’s Largest Aquamarine Gem

The Dom Pedro aquamarine obelisk by gem sculptor Bernd Munsteiner

The Dom Pedro aquamarine is the world’s largest cut aquamarine gem. It was cut from a crystal originally weighing approximately 100 pounds (45 kg) and measuring more than 3 feet (0.91 m) in length.

The stone was mined in Pedra Azul, in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil around 1980, and named after the Brazilian emperors Pedro I and Pedro II. The blue-green gemstone was cut by Bernd Munsteiner into an obelisk form weighing 10,363 carats.

The finished dimensions measure 14 inches (36 cm) tall by 4 inches (10 cm) wide. The jewel was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by Jane Mitchell and Jeffery Bland. It is housed in the National Museum of Natural History’s Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology.

Agenor Tavares with the original aquamarine crystal. Photo courtesy of Tony Kampf.

Size comparison – The Dom Pedro aquamarine crystal and faceted gem. Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.

The original aquamarine crystal, broken in three places but lined up together, measured approximately 1 meter in length. Photo courtesy of Bernd Munsteiner.

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