Cobaltoan Calcite

Item Description

While Calcite is not a rare species, the cobalt-bearing variety is certainly much less common and highly desirable for its gorgeous color. Some of the best examples of this material are those from the Aghbar Mine in Morocco. This attractive oval cabochon gem has a saturated fuchsia color with a lovely internal translucency when the stone is backlit. There is almost a bit of a banded appearance inside, though they could just be lines from internal crazing. One rarely sees a stone of this size, color, quality and gemminess on the market. Most of the Cobaltoan Calcite cabochons you'll see are often a much lighter color, more opaque and typically feature some kind of grey host rock. The consistency and strong glowing color of this gem is not easy to obtain from any locality. Valued at $192.50 retail