Stolen 1,300-kilogram jade boulder found, says B.C. gift shop owner
Metre-wide slab of jade found covered in dirt lying in a tangle of bushes and snow
The owner of a gift shop in British Columbia's southern Interior says a jade boulder stolen from outside the store earlier this month has been found.
Heidi Roy said the nearly 1,300 kilogram slab of jade stolen from outside Cariboo Jade and Gifts in Cache Creek was spotted by a member of the public who recognized it from the publicity the theft received.
Roy said in an email the slab has a few scars from its "adventure,'' but she's thrilled to have it back in one piece.
A photo provided by Roy showed the jade slab covered in dirt, lying in a tangle of brush and snow in the location she says it was found.
Roy said details are sparse so far and the RCMP are expected to release a statement Tuesday about their investigation into the theft.
Previously, an older grey and gold Dodge pickup truck pulling a trailer with an excavator was captured on surveillance video carrying the boulder off.
Police later found the trailer abandoned, without the jade, and the truck thought to have been used in the theft was found empty in another location.
Roy said the metre-wide slab has been displayed in front of Cariboo Jade and Gifts since she bought the store in 1985, and while it's become a tourist attraction, it is low-grade jade and worthless as semi-precious stone.
Roy thanked people who sent words of encouragement from across the country, saying it's clear "this stone meant a lot to many more than we realized.''