Jeremejevite (GEMMY crystal)

Item Description

There are a handful of minerals that fall into the category of the ultimate combination of rarity and beauty in the mineral world. Species like Phosphophyllite, Legrandite and Proustite come to mind, but the rare borate Jeremejevite will always be one of the first you'll hear when it comes to unique color and scarcity in terms of fine crystals. The species has been known since the 1800s and was named after Pavel Vladimirovitch Jeremejev, a Russian mineralogist and Professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences who collected the first specimens of the species. The most well-known examples are those from the famous Mile 72 locality within walking distance of the beach in the far western Erongo Region of Namibia. These beautiful crystals have set the standard for the species with their alluring blue color, beautiful prismatic form and in the top pieces, superb transparency. This specimen is a wonderful thumbnail example of this classic material with incredibly SMOOTH, sharp, lustrous faces, which are amplified by the fact that the crystal is GEM quality. The upper portion is virtually WATER CLEAR, which is not terribly common for this species. The attractive pyramidal termination highlights this little jewel, and the beautiful bi-colored combination of nearly colorless and blue hues gives the piece depth and character. It's important to stress how well-formed the faces are on this crystal, as most Jeremejevites from this area are etched, sometimes dramatically so, and it's not often that you'll find perfect single textbook crystals like this.