Axinite (rare)

Item Description

Axinite gems are considered rare largely because gem quality crystals are seldom seen, and the nature of those crystals is often fairly thin, so it's difficult to find crystals that are actually thick enough to produce fine faceted stones. Additionally, Axinite is fairly brittle, and it also has good cleavage on the a{100} face, along with poor cleavage in a few other directions, so it's challenging to cut without the added challenge of finding rough that's not wafer thin. This we have a wonderful collector's stone showing an attractive rich brownish-cognac hue. This stone is from Khaplu, Pakistan, and was mined about 10 years ago. very little has been found in recent years. The stone has a "Brilliant Oval" cut. It is difficult to find this material in clean stones, so inclusions are accepted by most collectors and dealers. This gem is only very slightly included, which is good for Axinite. It also shows a bit of trichroic color change when rotated in different directions. Axinite is actually hard enough that it can be worn in jewelry, but becuase it is brittle, I wouldn't recommend putting it in a ring, only a pendant.