Ruby on marble (RARE matrix specimen for the locality)

Item Description

Ruby crystals from most world localities are often found as loose single crystals, free of matrix. Famous Ruby-producing locality like Mogok, Myanmar have been a source of some of the finest examples of the material, but again, matrix specimens are rare. The lesser known Sivec Mountain locality in North Macedonia was mined for its beautiful white marble as far back as 500 BCE, and I'm sure the occasional Ruby crystal was found, even back then. This piece is a remarkably hard to find matrix specimen of these classics Rubies from this notably historic locality near the ancient city of Stibera (modern day Prilep) featuring a lustrous, somewhat flattened/tabular, hexagonal crystal of Ruby measuring 2.1 cm across sitting beautifully on the glowing white marble matrix. The crystal has a lovely pink color with a very slight lilac overtone. It's important to stress that the piece is NOT repaired, it's 100% natural, which is important because even a large percentage of the great Ruby specimens from Mogok are repaired, so a piece like this is a rarity for Ruby in general, not just from Sivec. If you collect gem minerals, or you're a fan of Ruby in general, this is not something you will find on the market in almost any capacity, so be sure to pick this one up for your collection.