Mother of all pebbles

KIRK HARGREAVES

IS THIS THE VIRGIN? Lisa-Marie Corlet, of Christchurch, is hoping this pebble - said to bear the image of the Virgin Mary - will be worth thousands.

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A pebble bearing the apparent image of the Virgin Mary could be the answer to a woman's prayers. Lisa-Marie Corlet, of Christchurch, hopes the pebble, found at Kaikoura last year, will be worth thousands.

She has advertised her find on Trade Me for $50,000. By yesterday, there were no bids.

But she was encouraged by previous sales of Virgin Mary images, such as the American woman who paid US$28,000 (NZ$37,000) for an image-bearing toasted cheese sandwich.

The United States has recorded many recent sightings of the Virgin's image, with claims that it has been seen, among other places, in a lemon slice in a bar.

The Catholic Church's New Zealand spokeswoman, Lyndsay Freer, said the Church was "cautious" about responding to claims of such images, as so many turned out to be fakes.

Ms Corlet said she found the pebble at South Beach on her first rock-foraging expedition. She noticed one had a distinctive pattern on it.

"I won't take less than $50,000 for it," she said.

"If someone is willing to pay US$28,000 for a piece of toast, I'm sure someone out there would pay at least that for rock."

- © Fairfax NZ News