A Tanzanian subsistence miner hit the jackpot on Wednesday after the government handed him a check for 7.74 billion Tanzanian shillings that he found.
It was reported that the man found the 2 largest tanzanite gemstones to ever be found in the entire world.
He ended up getting around $3.35 million for the rare find.
The 2 dark violet-blue gemstones, which are the size of a forearm, were discovered by Sininiu Laizer.
Laizer found in one of the tanzanite mines in the north of the country, which are surrounded by a wall to control cross-border smuggling of the gemstones.
The first gemstone weighed in at around 9.2 kilograms while the second one weighed in around 5.103 kilograms.
The news was confirmed by a mines ministry spokesperson.
Simon Msanjila, a mines ministry permanent secretary, said at a ceremony in Simanjiro district in Tanzania’s northern Manyara region said:
Today’s event… is to recognize the two largest tanzanite gemstones in history since the beginning of mining activities in Mirerani.
Laizer was pictured on Tanzanian television while he was given a large check.
The Bank of Tanzania bought the gemstones.
President John Magufuli phoned to congratulate Laizer live on television.
Magufuli told Doto Biteko, the minerals minister, that the discovery just shows that Tanzania is a very rich country.
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