Ruby (rare locality specimen - fine crystals)

Item Description

These old Ruby specimens are virtually impossible to find on the market today, and it's really a shame, because they are for my taste some of the best Ruby crystals from any locality outside of Asia. There are three aspects to these crystals that really make them stand out. First is the excellent hexagonal crystal form, which is clearly evident on this piece, but is not always seen in Ruby crystals from around the world. Secondly, the fantastic color, which is a rich purplish-red hue (some people might call this the famous "pigeon's blood" color, but that term is used quite loosely it seems to describe a lot of different shades of Ruby) immediately comes through as soon as this piece is in the light, and honestly, while the crystals are not gem quality, they're still somewhat gemmy and they even show a semi-metallic quality when they are rotated in any good light source. Lastly is the luster, which you don't see in a lot of Ruby crystals, many of them can be kind of matte, but these crystals are glossy and reflective. The largest Ruby measures 1.8 cm across. The matrix is a grey schist, which makes for a wonderful contrast against the Rubies, but it's also significant because you don't see a lot of good matrix display quality specimens of Ruby from most localities. Overall it's one of the best examples of this limited material - this particular specimen was mined in 1976 - that we've ever had to offer, and would make a great addition to any collection of gem crystals, minerals of Russia or matrix Ruby specimens.