7-Year-Old Discovers Sapphire Worth Thousands

A seven-year-old boy from Queensland went viral recently, after he found a sapphire estimated to be worth up to AU$10,000 ($6,500) near his Rubyvale home, just two years after his father made headlines with a similar find.

Gem hunter Matthew Betteridge recorded the moment his son Riley ran to him to show him the apple had not fallen far from the tree.

“Dad, I think I found a sapphire,” Riley can be heard saying before handing it to his father, who examines it with his lamp.

“Look at that! Beautiful, mate,” the proud father says.

Betteridge, whose family business specializes in ethical hand mining, said the “stunner” would make a “huge gem, potentially worth thousands”. Credit: Matthew Betteridge via Storyful

Video transcript

- What do you got, mate?

- Dad, I think I found a sapphire.

- Any good or what?

- Whoa, look at that. That looks really good, mate. You know what, hang on, let me grab my little headlamp. You know what, mate, I think-- I think-- oh, yes, you have. Look at that. Beautiful, mate.

There's a couple grand in that one. Look at that, I can see no problems. What do you reckon?

[LAUGHS]

- That's a goodie.

- Pretty happy with that?

- Yeah.

- Mate, that is your best stone yet by far.

- Really?

- Yeah, mate. That's really good. It's even a light green cross table. What do you reckon? Let's go?

- Yeah.

- You.

- Let's go.