The boy found a 14 carat sapphire 200 meters from his house

Riley Betteridge, a 7-year-old boy, became famous on social media after finding a 14.5-carat sapphire worth several thousand dollars 200 meters from his home in Australia.

His parents, Matt and Amber Betteridge, run Betteridge Sapphires, a specialist company located in the heart of Queensland's mining region, and the boy has been prospecting for gems since he was three, Yahoo News Australia reports.

“He's got a good eye,” Matt said of his son.

Amber, a gem processing and polishing expert, said the sapphire found by Riley had no internal fractures and could be worth $5,000 to $10,000.

“The final color makes the difference,” he said, adding that brightly colored stones sell for more than darker shades.

The discovery comes just weeks after Ms Betteridge discovered a $2,000 sapphire buried deep in the ground while carrying her 9-month-old daughter.

Aussie boy's rare meters from doorstep worth 'thousands' https://t.co/qsDwyoBbnk via @Yahoo

— Kate (@goldroses8) March 28, 2024

Get instant information on your cell phone. Join the Diario Primicia group on WhatsApp by following connection: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CkjSln5sfMt6c1gRE4hBhD