Bastnasite-(Ce)

Item Description

Gem quality Bastnasite is incredibly hard to find. Most of the actual crystals of Bastnasite from around the world are either too dark (opaque) or too small to produce faceted gems. The stones from Zagi Mountain have simply redefined the species for size and quality. Here we have a rarely seen "Checkerboard Bar" cut gem of Bastnasite-(Ce) with a rich red-orange color and virtually eye clean clarity. The stone is over 5 carats, which is significant for the species It seems as though this locality has produced less and less of these outstanding gems over the last few years, and if you don't have one in your collection, just keep in mind that this is incredibly rare material are superb for what they are. Also, it is difficult to obtain colorful gems of any rare species, especially over 5 carats!