Cuprite octahedron

Item Description

A very metallic, deep ruby-red, large octahedral cuprite crystal, showing internal gemminess and transparency when backlit (they cut large, ruby-red gems from such crystals!). This is a rather large single crystal, and has excellent form on the modified frontal faces, though it is contacted on the backside. So, it displays like it should be worth much more, since you do not see the rough backside, and the front is so beautiful an example of this material. This piece is from the late 1980s finds at this famous mine. These are no longer coming out of the mines, for a number of reasons having to do as much with the society and politics there, as the actual mines themselves. Valued at $750-1000