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Afghanite (rare and fine quality)
- Ladjuar Medam, Badakhshan, Afghanistan (Type Locality)
- Gems, 5.71 mm x 4.40 mm, 0.31 ct
- Start Time: 08/17/2024 11:30:00 pm (CDT)
- End Time: 08/22/2024 7:00:00 pm (CDT)
- Auction Closed
- Winning Bid: $70
Item Description
Afghanite is a rare mineral, but it's exceedingly rare to find gem quality material. This species has been reported from a handful of world localities, but truly the only pieces of note, (including GEM material) are found in Afghanistan. The crystals / stones from Ladjuar Medam form in the same area where the famous Lazurite has been mined for centuries. Afghanite is found in dark blue and white crystals, which are typically opaque or barely translucent, but a few years ago (2018), a very exciting discovery was made, yielding incredibly rare superb quality gem material. This stone is one of the better examples of faceted gem grade Afghanite that we've had to offer. It has an "Oval" cut with very slight inclusions, but the most impressive part is that it shows a beautiful sky blue color that is not often associated with Afghanite. This stone along with several others from the recent mining efforts have been analyzed and confirmed as Afghanite by several laboratories around the world. If you collect rarities, this is a great opportunity to not only pick up something that's rare, but also incredibly beautiful and colorful. One rarely sees Afghanite stones on the market these, and considering there is only one locality for gem material in the world, you won't see it forever.
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Bidding History
Bid Amount | Bid Time |
---|---|
$70 | 08/18/2024 11:54:32 pm (CDT) |
$60 | 08/18/2024 11:25:22 pm (CDT) |
$50 | 08/18/2024 11:25:22 pm (CDT) |
$25 | 08/18/2024 2:02:18 am (CDT) |