Axinite (rare) (with BLUE zones)

Item Description

Axinite gems are considered rare for two reasons. First is the fact that transparent / gem quality crystals are seldom seen from most localities, and the second aspect is that they are typically fairly thin, so it's difficult to find pieces that are actually thick enough to produce fine faceted stones. You can also throw in the fact that 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 difficulty of finding rough that's not wafer thin. This is a wonderful collector's stone showing an attractive rich reddish-amber-cognac hue, but that what really makes this one special is that it features rarely seen BLUE ZONES of color, which is only seen in a tiny percentage of this material 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 does have some slight inclusions, but the blue zoning makes up for it in terms of desirability. The stone 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 because it is brittle, I wouldn't recommend putting it in a ring, only a pendant.