Rubellite Tourmaline

Item Description

Here we have a nice little Rubellite Tourmaline gem from Brazil. The stone is very very slightly included with a glowing strong red-pink hue and a "Pear" cut. The rough from which this stone was faceted came out of the ground around 20 years ago. The color is saturated for the size. It should be noted that this material seems to have dried up in recent years, and good gems with the strong color like this stone are becoming much more difficult to find these days.
This stone is from the estate of former Phoenix area dealer Marvin Rockey. Rockey's Gems was a significant business in the early days of Arizona lapidary material, and he was a prominent dealer and buyer in the Arizona area of local lapidary and carving material from throughout the state, including Bisbee, the Ray Mine, Miami mines, and the Peridot finds on Indian lands in the 1950s-1970s. This stone was kept back from the retail stock for its quality and beauty, in a tray of special material, and was found in his estate (sold to us only recently). Today, these are not only rarely seen but of a highly desirable old quality, and sought after by collectors and gem / jewelry enthusiasts alike.