Andesine (rare)

Item Description

Andesine is a rare variety of Plagioclase Feldspar which is extremely rare in gem grade pieces with orange or red colors. This new material was initially said to be discovered in 2002 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and as of the initial discovery of these stones, no more Andesine has been offered for sale. I have been told that this material is coming from Tibet, and some reports state that the rough is coming out of China. The most well known red Feldspar is the "Oregon Sunstone" which is Labradorite, and has Copper content that caused a variety of colors ranging from red to pink to orange to green and rarely blue. There was much confusion surrounding the origin of these Andesine stones, and what exactly was causing the incredibly rich colors. This new red Andesine (also found in orange, green, blue and colorless hues) contains Copper, but it has been announced through extensive testing that these gems have been treated/diffused to create and intensify the colors. For a long time we were all lead to believe that these gems were not treated, but this is NOT the case. Despite the fact these gems are treated, they are still being offered for sale for up to $400 per carat in some cases. This "Oval" cut gem is a beautiful stone with a rich orange-red color which is the most sought after color for this material. The high end retail value on this stone is $907.50 so the $100 starting bid puts this WELL below wholesale.