Man stumbles upon precious gem worth over $8,000 while on walk (VIDEO)

Matt Betteridge definitely did not regret his stroll. The Australian was walking in Rubyvale, a region renowned for its precious stones, when he came across a sapphire valued at several thousand dollars. It took a good eye to spot it, as the stone was barely above ground.

A lucky gem hunter

Matt Betteridge didn't quite believe it when he first walked past the sapphire. As the sun set, the man went back to his camp to get his phone to film himself digging. Had he known he had laid eyes on such a valuable stone, he would surely have wasted no time in digging up his find, so as not to leave any chance for other walkers. In a video that went viral on TikTok, he said:

You have no idea how much I hold back from digging up these sapphires when I see them

Indeed, this 'gem hunter' has made a name for himself in the industry and regularly posts his finds on social mdeia. With this sapphire, he seems to have broken his own record.

A stone the size of a 'small child's fist'

You can hear Matt Betteridge's excitement rising as he digs. 'It's a good size,' he begins to say calmly. Seconds later, as he realises he's made a big find, he starts to lose his nerve:

Oh, I found my biggest rock! Holy cow! Sorry...

At first glance, he thinks he has unearthed a stone the size of a 'small child's fist' worth 400 carats. In reality, it was an 834-carat sapphire that he found. The value of his find? 12,500 Australian dollars, which is over 8,000 US dollars. Enough to make you want to walk around more often.

This article was translated from Gentside FR.