Three large luminous gems, including one touted as the world's largest, will be put on public auction on May 18 in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Before the auction, to be carried out by Sichuan Jintong Auction Co., Ltd., they will be exhibited at Dacheng Hotel of Chengdu for five days.
The largest of the three fluorite gems, named Zeus, measures 40 centimeters in diameter and weighs 106 kilograms. The other two measure 24 centimeters and 6.82 centimeters, respectively.
According to the gem appraisal center of the Guangdong Geology Institute, Zeus is translucent and gives out natural phosphorescence in complete darkness. It has light purple and green colors.
Sources with the auctioneer said the other two gems possess the same luminous traits.
Xiong Bin, deputy director of the Sichuan Office of Zhonghang Nanfang Mechanization Engineering Company that is the present owner of the three gems, said the company purchased these gems from civilians nearly 10 years ago.
According to Xiong, the bottom price for Zeus is set at between 2 million yuan (about US$240,964) to 3 million yuan (about US$361,446).
(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2003)
