£238 MILLION emerald discovered as owner goes into hiding after digging up 4ft high stone weighing 800 lbs in Brazil because he fears thieves will kill his family to get it

The private holder, who can only be identified by his initials FG, said the giant stone is extremely rare because of its 'considerable size and the quality of its gigantic crystals'. He revealed that while it would need a forklift truck to lift the huge cluster of jewels, the risks of a heist are high in Brazil where criminal gangs use explosives to raid banks and carry powerful firearms. The massive emerald, which weighs 794 pounds (360kg) and stands around 4.3 feet high (1.3metres), was unearthed a month ago, 200 metres deep inside the Carnaiba Mine, a gem-rich mineral exploration area in Bahia, north east Brazil. Experts predict the impressive jewelled boulder, which contains around 180,000 carats of emerald crystals, could fetch around £238million.