Ruby (doubly-terminated crystal)

Item Description

The Ruby crystals from Mysore, India are among some of the most well-known examples of this red variety of Corundum in the world. They are rarely gem quality, but they are often larger than other Ruby crystals from places like Myanmar or Tanzania/Kenya. This piece is an impressive, robust, thick, doubly-terminated hexagonal crystal, free of matrix. The piece has a rich purplish-red hue, and is opaque for all intents and purposes. It's nearly a "floater", but there is one contacted edge, so it's not 100% complete all the way around. I'm actually impressed that a crystal this size survived, because they are often carved into art objects by the locals, so to have a crystal over 6 cm in such fine condition and completely intact is a big deal. The piece is heavy, weighing in at 295.8 grams, and you have feel the heft when you hold it in your hands. From the collection of Vasco Trancoso, a medical doctor and prominent mineral collector from near Lisbon, Portugal (https://www.mindat.org/user-11954.html). He assembled his mineral collection over the course of 60 years, and built a fine worldwide display collection that we recently purchased.