Kornerupine (rare in matrix)

Item Description

Kornerupine is a fairly well-known magnesium aluminum borosilicate, but good crystals are RARE to find from any locality. Kornerupine is probably best known in the gem world as faceted stones, so when you have a matrix display specimen like this, it's a big deal. It has been said that the Kornerupine crystals from around Mt Riddock Station in the Harts Range of Australia are arguably the best examples of the species extant. This piece is an impressive cabinet sized specimen featuring several prismatic, dark grey colored Kornerupine crystals measuring up to 4.2 cm sitting on gneiss matrix. The crystals are well-formed, though not all of them are complete, as there are some broken crystals, but it's still a noteworthy specimen, as most of the Kornerupines you'll see are loose single crystals, so to have a matrix piece like this is significant.