Corundum var: Ruby

Item Description

The wonderful Ruby crystals from Mysore, India are among some of the most well-known examples of this red variety of Corundum ever found. While they are rarely gem quality, they are often larger than other Ruby crystals from places like Myanmar or Tanzania/Kenya, and show superb well-formed crystal faces. This piece is an impressive, robust, thick, doubly-terminated hexagonal crystal, free of matrix. The piece has a rich purplish-red hue, and is opaque for all intents and purposes. It's largely crystallized all around, but there are a few rough edges, so it's not 100% complete. I'm actually impressed that a crystal this size survived, because they are often carved into art objects by the locals. Specimen weight is 72.1 grams.
Ex Brian Kosnar Collection.