Corundum var: Ruby on marble (RARE matrix specimen for the locality)

Item Description

There are a good number of localities for Ruby around the world, but crystals from most world localities are often found as loose singles, free of matrix. Classic Ruby-producing localities like Mogok, Myanmar have been a source of some of the finest examples of Ruby in the world, but again, matrix specimens are rare. The lesser known Sivec Mountain locality in North Macedonia was mined for its beautiful white marble as far back as 500 BCE, but specimens preservation was not of the utmost important, and I imagine most crystals were "popped" out of the matrix to transform the Rubies into jewelry. This piece is a remarkably hard to find matrix specimen of these classics Rubies from this notably historic locality near the ancient city of Stibera (modern day Prilep) featuring a group of hexagonal crystals of Ruby, with individual crystals measuring up to 1.6 cm across sitting beautifully on the glowing white marble matrix. The crystals have a lovely pink color with a very slight lilac overtone. It's important to stress that the piece is NOT repaired, it's 100% natural, which is important because even a large percentage of the matrix Ruby specimens from Mogok are repaired, so a piece like this is a rarity for Ruby in general, not just from Sivec. If you collect gem minerals, or you're a fan of Ruby in general, this is not something you will find on the market in almost any capacity, so be sure to pick this one up for your collection.