What a wild year we have had. First, I wanted to wish each of you and your families a Safe, Healthy, and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday in light of everything going on. As you sit around the table, I wanted to provide a little conversation starter. A gentleman that lost his home in the California wildfires is now filing a claim against PGE (the electric company) that his 500-pound Emerald was lost that he estimates is worth $280 million dollars. How do you lose a 500-pound rock that didn’t melt? How is this even plausible?
As you sit around the Thanksgiving table, it will be a good time to ponder this gentleman’s loss. Imagine if you were the claims adjuster, I’m assuming this claim is a bit out of the ordinary! Wouldn’t you have some basic questions like where did you get a gem this size? It is quite different than your traditional auto accident!
First, it is amazing that someone has a 500-pound emerald sitting in their house worth $280 million, yet there is no appraisal or pictures? (see the Bloomberg article) Where would you actually put a 500 pound rock, in the living room? Kitchen? Next to your tub? In the basement? How would you get it there (a crane?)? Talk about a conversation starter when you have friends and family over 😊
Amazingly, according to the gentleman, the emerald was “destroyed” due to the wildfires caused by PGE. This leads to the second question, how is a 500-pound rock destroyed? The melting point of an emerald is over 2300 Fahrenheit, yet fires typically only reach 1100 degrees so the rock obviously didn’t melt. Furthermore, it would be difficult to “lose” something this size even if the house burned down. I assume it wasn’t a perfect circle and rolled away!
As you prepare for the holidays, out of an abundance of caution, please ensure you take pictures of your 500-pound rock sitting at the Thanksgiving table. Please send me a picture as well as I’m sure your fellow readers (and your insurance agent) are curious how this would look as the backdrop for turkey 😊
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Stay healthy And Sane! Let’s hope for a more “normal” 2021!
