Charoite

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. Charoite gets is name from the Charo River in Russia. The best known material is from Russia, and forms as a result of the alteration of limestone under intense heat and pressure. The unique alkali-rich Nephiline in Charoite gives it the unique purple color. These stones are almost always opaque, but the color is what draws collectors. This material is relatively new to the market as it was only introduced to the west in 1978. Typically, Charoite has mutlicolor banding and swirling which mixes purple and white streaks, but this stone is amazing uniform in color, which is incredibly rare for Charoite in my experience. The most impressive aspect of this "Narrow Emerald" cut stone is the fact that it is NOT opaque, but actually slightly translucent around the edges! A great rare and colorful gem for any collection.