Natrolite (''Pink Larimar'') (recent find)

Item Description

Here we have a wonderful good-sized stone of this fairly new and unique material. This gem comes from the discovery in the summer of 2020, which yielded these beautiful pinkish colored Natrolite from a basalt deposit on the island of Nusa Kambangan in Central Java, Indonesia. This material at first glance reminded some of the famous Thomsonite specimens from the Great Lakes in the United States, and when the material was polished it very closely resembled the patterns seen in the famous Larimar stones from the Dominican Republic (which are actually Pectolite). A quick analysis via Raman Spectroscopy revealed that these Indonesian gems are in fact Natrolite, which makes them the first of their kind that I've seen. Due to the similarity in style to Larimar, we immediately saw somebody apply the trade name "Pink Larimar", to this material, and then the term "Rhodatrolite," ("Rose Natrolite") popped up online. With that said, we're simply calling this material Natrolite, because that's what it is, and it doesn't need a trendy trade name to sell it, because Natrolite of this style and color is already rare and interesting enough. This "Freeform Cabochon" cut gem has a beautiful pattern on the surface, somewhat resembling a leopard print or tortoise shell pattern, but still uniquely distinct and different. In reflected light, the color is a "burnt pink" hue, but when the stone is backlit, it shows a beautiful creamy pink color. These are new, rare and interesting, and if you collect gemstones, it's a must have for your collection, because we don't know how many of them there will be going forward. The deposit could last for years, or it could dwindle as quickly as it was discovered.