Apatite

Item Description

The famous quote from John Sinkankas was "gems are minerals after all". In our continued efforts to promote the importance of gemstones for ALL collectors, we want to give mineral collectors a chance at a rare cut stone that complements a choice mineral specimen from a classic locality. Some of the finest mineral collections in the world are accompanied by gemstones that either complete a "rough and cut" set for certain specimens, or simply show the beauty of particular species when they are faceted. We are offering this stone as an opportunity for collectors to expand their horizons and purchase gemstones that would supplement crystallized specimens in their collections. I think it is important for collectors to know that faceted stones can expand one's interests in minerals and can add a certain reverence to the hobby of collecting minerals. Apatite from Tanzania is becoming more and more difficult to find as the best deposit for the material dried up years ago, and the material is only being found in small sporadic areas. I don't see many stones approaching 5 carats, let alone 15 carats from this area these days, and this is one of the best gems I've seen for color and clarity. The stone has a lovely green-yellow color. It is only very very slightly included, and considering that the majority of these stones average about 3 carats in weight (even with inclusions), this is a significant stone for this area. The stone comes with a retail value of $600, so the $100 starting bid makes it a steal for the size and quality.