Iolite (''Bloodshot Iolite'')

Item Description

This is a notably unusual gem from a very unlikely locality. We almost never have gemstones from Yemen to offer for sale, and we've only had two other stones of this particular variety of Iolite in the auctions, prior to this one. We offered one in August of 2022, and we thought it was the last one we would have to offer, but we found ONE LAST stone in our inventory, so if you missed out, you have one final opportunity to pick this one up for your collection. This stone is a fantastic example of what is marketed as "Bloodshot Iolite". This material is simply Iolite (the gem blue-purple variety of Cordierite) which has tiny platelet inclusions of red or brownish iron oxide. Now I've seen some sites list these inclusions and Lepidocrocite, but I'm inclined to believe it's actually Hematite, just like the Quartz / Amethyst crystals from Erongo, Namibia were supposedly included with Lepidocrocite, and they all turned out to be Hematite as well. With that said, these red inclusions create a very pleasing effecting as you can see in the photo/video for this stone. The stone is notably large, weighing over 15 carats. The color of the Iolite itself is a medium purple hue, and the brilliant red inclusions glow with color when the stone is backlit. A really impressive, unusual and highly desirable stone for any rare stone collector or a fan or big, attractive and odd gemstones. This stone comes to us from the collection of Bill Larson, the well-known mineral/gem dealer, collector, miner and world traveler from Fallbrook California. The stone is priced at $1,014.65 retail in our inventory.