Grandidierite (exceptionally rare)

Item Description

This is a beautiful Grandidierite gemstone, truly one of the great rare gems in the world. This gem was faceted from a piece of rough mined a few years ago. Grandidierite was discovered by the French mineralogist, Alfred Lacroix in 1902 and named after French explorer and naturalist Alfred Grandidier (1836–1912), who wrote the great natural history book: "L'Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar". Grandidierite is one of those gems that you'll often see on the "Top 10 Rarest Gems in The World" lists. It commonly grouped in with gems like Painite, Phosphophyllite, Taaffeite, Poudretteite, Benitoite and Jeremejevite. This stone was ranked at #7 on Mining Global's "Top 10 Rarest Gems Found on Earth" list, and it came in at #3 on Forbes' "12 Most Expensive Gemstones In The World" list. The first reported locality for the species is at the cliffs of Andrahomana, on the southern coast of Madagascar. The species is a magnesium iron aluminum borosilicate and though it has been found in multiple localities around the world, it's still considered exceptionally rare, especially in gem quality material. Like many rare gems, it's the color that really draws one's attention. The best Grandidierite stones have a very captivating greenish-blue hue, similar to the top Euclase specimens from Colombia. Faceted stones of Grandidierite are seldom seen on the market in any size, and they are typically heavily included. I would say that the majority of the Grandidierites in the world weigh less than 1 carat, so in the rare instance that one sees a Grandidierite for sale, it's not unusual to encounter smaller gems. This stone is a superb example of the material, as it is not only very good sized, but it has great clarity. This "Cushion Brilliant" cut gem has a classic rich blue hue with very very slight inclusions It just sparkles in the light and really looks amazing in sunlight. The majority of faceted Grandidierites are less than 1/4 carat, so this stone is not small by Grandidierite standards at all ! This is a VERY rare example of an incredibly beautiful gem for any collector. If you're thinking about having a stone like this placed into jewelry, Grandidierite has excellent hardness of 7.0 - 7.5 (similar to Garnet) which makes it a great candidate to be mounted into any setting. If you collect rare gems, or have always wanted an example of this remarkable material, this is a perfect opportunity to snag a fine quality stone for a good price. I have seen these gems selling for over $5,000 per carat in the past year since this new discovery was made, so don't miss out on this attractive stone for a great price.