PITTSBURGH -- The Carnegie Museum of Natural History believes its Wertz Gallery has one of the top collections of gems and minerals you'll find anywhere in the world.

On Thursday, museum officials said the gallery got even better with the addition of a new exhibit and a huge emerald.

The price tag is a secret, but curators said its beauty is priceless.

Usually when the museum adds new gems and stones, they do it behind closed doors under very tight security. But museum officials were so impressed with their new piece that they invited WTAE Channel 4 Action News for a sneak peek.

“A few years ago, a pocket of about a dozen of these crystals was found,” said Marc Wilson of the museum. “This is one of the finest.”

The emerald crystal is 5.8 centimeters long, and as of Thursday morning, it is a permanent part of the birthstone exhibit inside the gallery.

The installation only took a couple of seconds, but the museum believes it will be an attraction for years to come.

“This represents out of the thousands of crystals that have been found over the last century, it's probably in the Top 10 percent of what's been found,” said Wilson.

The emerald was found in North Carolina, which makes it even more unique because very few emeralds have ever been found in the U.S.

“This is a very significant emerald specimen,” said Wilson. “It will be a valuable addition to the birthstone exhibit. It's a great step up over what we had before.”

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