Afghanite (rare and great quality)

Item Description

If you're familiar with Afghanite as a species, you've probably only seen it in specimen form, as gem quality material is exceedingly hard to find. With that said, even good gem grade Afghanite crystals will yield small stones, typically under 1/4 carat (0.25 carats) in weight. Although this rare tektosilicate has been reported from a handful of worldwide localities, 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 in auctions. It has a "Round Brilliant" cut with very slight inclusions, but perhaps the most intriguing part is that it shows a lovely bright blue color that is not often associated with Afghanite. This gem 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.