Charoite (830 carats) (ex Dr. Miguel Romero Collection)

Item Description

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 stunning purple color. These piece are almost always opaque, but the color and swirling patterns 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, and this is a great example of said material. The most impressive aspect of this sliced piece is the size, PLUS it actually PASSES LIGHT in a few areas when backlit, which is quite rare with my experience with this material. It weighs a whopping 830 carats! Valued at $1700 retail. From the collection of Senator / Dr. Miguel Romero of Teuhuacan, Mexico (Collection #6963). For more information on this important collection, use the link to this free online copy of our 2008 book on his collection: http://www.irocks.com/e-book-romero/