Giant Citrine faceted gem from Minas Gerais, Brazil
World’s Largest Faceted Citrine, ‘The Malaga,’ Weighs 20,200 Carats (That’s 8.8 Pounds!)
Besides its exceptional color, transparency and purity, what makes the “Malaga” so extraordinary is its enormous size. Rarely does nature present a citrine crystal that could yield such a large faceted stone. Typically, citrine crystals are found in geodes and measure just a few centimeters in size. When they are found in larger formations, the quality is usually lacking and these specimens are used as decorative items.
The mammoth rough citrine crystal that would become the “Malaga” was unearthed in Mina Gerais, Brazil, in 1990. Due to the risks, complexity and special equipment required to cut and polish the stone, it remained in its original form for 19 years. Finally, in 2009, a team of Brazilian gem cutters took on the formidable challenge of shaping the stone — with startling beautiful results.
