Afghanite (rare and great quality)

Ladjuar Medam, Badakhshan, Afghanistan (Type Locality)
Gems, 0.16 ct ; 4.07 mm x 3.98 mm
Start Time: 04/21/2022 9:00:00 pm (CDT)
End Time: 04/28/2022 7:05:00 pm (CDT)
Auction Closed
Winning Bid: $70

Item Description

Most people are familiar with Afghanite in specimen form, but gemstones are exceedingly hard to find. This rare tektosilicate has been reported from a handful of worldwide localities, but the only pieces of note, (including GEM material) are found in Afghanistan. The material from Ladjuar Medam forms 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 recently (2018) a NEW discovery was made of superb quality gem material. This stone is one of the best examples of faceted gem grade Afghanite that we've had to offer. It has a "Brilliant Trillion" cut with very slight inclusins, but perhaps the most intriguing part is that it shows a lovely sky blue color that is not often associated with Afghanite. This piece 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 04/28/2022 6:56:33 pm (CDT)
$60 04/28/2022 6:56:28 pm (CDT)
$50 04/28/2022 3:30:58 pm (CDT)
$48 04/28/2022 3:30:58 pm (CDT)
$25 04/26/2022 5:05:57 pm (CDT)