30-ton precious rock 'detained' in central Vietnam

The value of the piece of rock is estimated at dozens of billions of dong (VND1 billion is equivalent to roughly US$47,000), Hoang Xuan Vinh, a senior official at the district People’s Committee, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday.

“The committee has yet to receive a specific report on the finding, so we do not know details about it. Locals accidentally found the piece of rock. Competent agencies have made a document to temporarily retain it,” Vinh said.

Truong Xuan Anh, deputy head of the district Natural Resources and Environment Office, said the huge piece of rock was discovered inside a mountain field owned by Nguyen Chi Thanh, a resident of Dak Gan commune.

The volume of the piece of rock is about 18 cubic meters and its weight is between 27 and 30 tons, Anh said.

Regarding the value of the rock, Nguyen Huu Trung, head of the Mineral Office under the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said it belongs to the Canxedon species, which has been formed in the process of geological weathering

“Naturally, a piece of rock of this kind is as small as a fist. People often exploit it and sell it for VND20,000-50,000 ($0.93-2.34) per kilogram. It is used to make art stones or feng shui stones,” Trung said.

Canxedon rock varies in color, including pink and slight yellow, and the bigger the piece of such rock is, the higher value it has, Trung added.

A senior official from the Dak Nong Province Police Department said on Friday afternoon that a unit of the department has issued a decision to hold the rock pending resolution.

Further details related to the piece of rock and how it will be handled will be announced next Monday, the official said.