I actually didn't intend for it to be funny. I am in Tucson right now, and there are some shows where rough stones are sold by the 55 gal drum. These are "rocks", and can never cut faceted into a gemstone. Then on the opposite spectrum are fine facet grade material. The price difference is a vast as what I indicated.
Usually when someone comments that they have X pounds of material, it falls into the 55 gal drum variety. When they say they have X grams, well then it becomes more interesting.