Ulikuo gemstones were precious stones valued for aesthetics and industrial applications. Their cultural significance warranted unauthorized mining a crime punishable by lifetime imprisonment. In 22 BBY, Zorba Desilijic Tiure was convicted on charges of illegal removal of ulikuo stones, and sentenced to 45 standard years in prison. Gorga Desilijic Aarrpo also ran a profitable black-market trade in these gems on the planet Kip with a silent partner. Traditionally, Tapani nobles presented ulikuo gemstones to each other as part of a marriage proposal.