The gold nugget, named Friday’s Joy, was recently discovered at the southern edge of Victoria’s Golden Triangle by a prospector who wished to remain anonymous.
The find was estimated to be valued at more than $250,000 and was discovered one day after the prospector found a 255 g tennis ball-shaped gold nugget in the same region.
“I thought it [Friday’s Joy] was rubbish at first, maybe an old horseshoe,” the prospector said in a company statement from Minelab – the manufacturer of the metal detector used.
“About 12 inches (30.5 cm) below the ground, I could just barely make out the top of something. As I began to scrape away the clay and dig deeper, I really couldn’t believe my eyes – this wasn’t an old piece of steel in front of me.
“I had just unearthed a colossal gold nugget – a once in a lifetime find! I was in total disbelief as I didn't think nuggets of this size were still around.”
A replica of the nugget was being constructed and there were plans to sell the authentic piece of gold at auction.
According to Minelab, Australian prospector Mick Brown discovered a 2.5 kg gold nugget near Wedderburn, Victoria last year. The find, named Fair Dinkum, reached $175,000 at auction.
In other news, Philippine officials believe they are in possession of the largest natural pearl ever recorded after it was found by a local fisherman and kept under his bed for a decade.
The ‘clam-shaped’ gem reportedly weighs 34 kg and measures roughly 61 cm by 30 cm. It was said to have been found off the coast of Palawan Island in the Philippines.
Aileen Cynthia Maggay-Amurao, who works in local government for Puerto Princesa, a city located on Palawan Island, appealed on Facebook for a gemmologist to verify its authenticity as the “world’s biggest natural giant pearl”.
“All recorded giant pearls in the world came from Palawan waters,” she added.
If verified, the gem would easily beat the current record holder, the Pearl of Lao Tzu, which was also found off the coast of Palawan Island and weighs 6.4 kg. It is said to be valued at $35 million.
Daily Mail reported the pearl was brought to the Puerto Princesa tourist office by a fisherman who found the pearl 10 years ago. According to reports, the man had kept it under his bed as a good luck charm until a house fire forced him to clear out his belongings.
Maggay-Amurao was quoted on the Daily Mail website as saying: “He didn't know how much it was worth and kept it tucked away at home as a simple good luck charm. We were amazed when he brought it to us.”
The pearl was put on public display at the local city hall in Puerto Princesa.
More reading
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