Corundum var: Ruby (2 crystals)

Item Description

The famed Ruby crystals from Mogok are world-class examples of what could be most well-known gem in the world. Keep in mind that good Ruby crystals are not terribly easy to find from most localities, and when you find crystals that are highly colorful and gemmy, it's significant. Here we have a lovely 2-crystal set, both free of matrix, one with a stunningly saturated pink-red hue, and the other with a bit more subdued pinkish shade, but both crystals are gemmy and show well-defined crystal faces. Keep in mind that it's been about 5 years since any good Rubies have come out of Mogok due to political upheaval in Myanmar, and even smaller crystals like this carry value these days. The color is difficult to accurately show in a video, but the more saturated crystal is gorgeous in person. A great set of this highly famous material. The total weight of both crystals is 1.83 grams.
This set comes to us from the legendary Ron Romanella (February 28, 1932 - October 24, 2022), a well-known gem and mineral dealer from New York City. He studied mineralogy at Columbia School of Mines, and he was mentored by Dr. Frederick Pough of the American Museum of Natural History, and learned about the business side from well-known mineral dealers Hugh Ford and Maurice Hammoneau. Ron himself was a mentor to other successful East Coast mineral dealers such as Larry Conklin, Herb Obodda and even employed Dave Wilber for a time. He largely transitioned out of selling minerals as his business focused more on gems for the last few decades, and his sons Michael and Jerry have been running the family business in Scottsdale for many years now. With that said, Ron was one of the great powerhouse mineral dealers in the US for many years, offering fine quality specimens and gem crystals from classic and contemporary localities. Among his top achievements, is that Ron is credited with importing the first known crystals of Tanzanite into the US in the 1960s.