How a ‘cursed’ gem ended up in Los Angeles County

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Saturday, and someone on my street is playing the theme song from “Taxi” very loudly as I write this. I can tell this weekend is going to be awesome. Anyway, here’s what you need to know today:

• A “cursed” gem from a Brazilian mine eventually landed in Los Angeles County.
• Here’s what we know about California Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s injury in Europe.
• The Times highlights the best TV shows, movies, music, books, art and theater of 2024.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper

The bizarre story of an 836-pound ‘cursed’ gem

Holiday party season is finally here, and I’m the kind of guest who likes to stock up on strange stories to use in my arsenal of conversation starters, hoping people will find me much smarter than I actually am.

And as luck would have it, I recently came across this story about a giant gem that is blamed for ruining the lives of various people.

The gem, known as the Bahia Emerald, was discovered in a Brazilian mine and later smuggled into the U.S., where it eventually landed in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, reports my colleague Clara Harter, who looked at the gem’s history and its contentious ownership battle.

I won’t spoil the entire story — it’s a good one to read over the weekend, and it reminds me of the movie “Uncut Gems.”

But here are three things about this “cursed” gem that you can use to impress someone if you find yourself at a party and needing to spark a conversation.

For two decades the 836-pound Bahia Emerald has wreaked havoc on the lives of smugglers, schemers and dreamers across America.

(Photo illustration by Allison Hong / Los Angeles Times; photos from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, New York Public Library)

The Bahia Emerald is believed to contain the largest single emerald in existence

The Bahia Emerald isn’t just one gem — it actually consists of nine crystals encased in a rough black rock that’s 30 inches wide and 33 inches high.

“Each crystal is as thick as a Coke bottle, and one is believed to be the largest single emerald ever found,” Clara reports.

The gem clocks in at 836 pounds, which is as much as a full-grown bison.

The gem’s value is hard to pin down

Appraisals of the Bahia Emerald have ranged wildly from just a couple thousand dollars to $925 million.

That’s partly because a gem’s value can come down to what a buyer is willing to pay, Clara reports. On top of that, the uniqueness and size of the Bahia Emerald makes it especially hard to put a price tag on.

People have blamed the gem for strange occurrences

One so-called curse involves a Bay Area building contractor who said his house burned down along with the paperwork proving he owned the gem.

Another centers on investors in a failed tech startup who almost lost the gem during Hurricane Katrina.

But a really wild one is a Northern California plumber’s claim that he was kidnapped by Brazilian warlords while he owned the gem.

So is the gem actually cursed? Like I said, I won’t spoil the entire story, but there’s a nice kicker at the end from a now-retired detective who was on the case.

The week’s biggest stories

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) was injured during a congressional trip to Luxembourg.

(Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

California Rep. Nancy Pelosi was hospitalized after an injury in Europe

• Pelosi was injured in a fall during an official engagement while traveling with a bipartisan congressional delegation in Luxembourg, according to her spokesperson.
• A source familiar with what happened said Pelosi tripped right after taking a group photo and fell. The person did not know the extent of her injuries.

What we know about Luigi Mangione’s ties in California

• Mangione, who is charged in the death of the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, spent time at Stanford University in 2019 and once worked for the Santa Monica company TrueCar, a digital marketplace for automobiles, records show.
• Mangione’s mother filed a missing person report for her son in November in San Francisco, the Associated Press confirmed using two law enforcement sources.
• Social media posts believed to be written by Mangione indicated he was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis. Here’s what we know about the back condition, its symptoms and how it is treated.
• The killing of a UnitedHealthcare executive won’t improve anyone’s insurance, but this would, writes Jamie Court, president of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog, in a guest opinion.

The threat of wildfires could linger into the new year for Southern California

• By this time of year, Southern California has usually had some measurable rainfall and the Santa Ana winds have typically died down. But that’s not the case this year.
• Meanwhile, lessening winds and increasing humidity have helped firefighters make progress in the battle against the Franklin fire in Malibu.
• These satellite photos show how the Franklin fire threatened neighborhoods.

Where Trump gained ground in Southern California

• Once strongly liberal, Pico-Robertson saw support surge for Trump in the presidential election. Locals attribute the shifting dynamics to the Israel-Hamas war, rising instances of antisemitism and a strong Republican canvassing effort.
• In Arcadia and Temple City, Trump gained support from Asian American voters who expressed despair over crime, the economy and illegal immigration.
• And in Downey, a suburb dubbed the Mexican Beverly Hills, Trump narrowed the gap between Republican and Democratic support.

More big stories

• Will Kamala Harris run for California governor in 2026? The question is already swirling.
• After losing reelection, San Francisco Mayor London Breed says she is leaving office as “a winner.”
• California and other Western states that rely on the Colorado River are at an impasse in talks over rules to address water shortages.
• Rent-shamers are calling out overpriced listings across Southern California.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

This week’s must reads

(Noah Goldberg / Los Angeles Times)

The former wife of a slain Los Angeles doctor organized a tearful memorial. Now she’s in jail in his killing. Soon after Hamid Mirshojae’s killing, the years of conflict between him and his former wife became a focus of suspicion.

More must reads

• At Beverly Hills High School, celebrations over Trump’s victory have ignited simmering racial tensions.
• A day without Mexicans in Mammoth? Locals consider how to get a message to Trump.
• Wells Fargo’s downsizing in San Francisco raises questions about its commitment to the city.
• Orange County has unexpectedly become a humpback whale hangout.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].

For your weekend

The Times highlights the best TV shows, movies, music, books, art and theater of 2024.

(Illustration by Julia Schimautz / For The Times)

Going out

• 🎄 These holiday pop-up bars in Southern California offer an immersive way to get into the season.
• 🍪 Craving a holiday-inspired cookie? Check out these 11 bakeries in the Los Angeles area.
• 🤝 Joining a social club is good for your health. Here are seven quirky ones in L.A. to help get you started.
• 🎡 Here’s everything new coming to Disneyland in 2025 (so far) — including $67-per-day tickets.

Staying in

• 🏆 Looking for a movie to watch, a book to read or a song to listen to? The Times looks at the best TV shows, movies, music, books, art and theater in 2024.
• 👫 Here’s a look at what the “Love Is Blind” labor filing could mean for reality TV.
• 📺 Despite the departure of its main star, Kevin Costner, “Yellowstone” has remained TV’s most popular series heading into Sunday’s highly anticipated series finale.
• 🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for grownup mint-chocolate pudding.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.

(Times staff and wire photos)

When the nominations for the 82nd Golden Globes were announced Monday, which musical led with 10 nods including competing nominations for Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor

Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.