Ruby (unusual style) (ex Bill Larson Collection)

Item Description

Typically the Ruby specimens from any locality in Myanmar are either single crystals free of matrix, or you might find one or two crystals on matrix, but a CLUSTER like this is exceedingly rare in my experience. This small cabinet sized specimen hosts dozens of prismatic, hexagonal Ruby crystals measuring up to 1.8 cm long, which range in a color from a "chalky" pinkish hue to a much more robust deep purplish-red color running through the center of the piece. For reference, in Myanmar it is common to refer to any red or pink Corundum as Ruby, where in most other parts of the world, only the red crystals are Ruby, and the pink are Sapphire. So from the Burmese standpoint, this is ALL Ruby on this piece. The specimen is not quite a complete "floater", as I can see a few small points of attachment, but it's literally crystallized on all sides. A bit of mint-green colored Muscovite (var. Fuchsite) can be seen here and there for a nice touch. This one is certainly not your "run-of-the-mill" Ruby and would make a great addition to any gem crystal suite or a collection of minerals from Myanmar due to its esoteric and intriguing nature. This would be somewhere in the $2,500-$3,000 range retail. From the collection of Bill ("Burma Bill") Larson of Fallbrook, California. Bill is a well-known gem and mineral dealer as well as a miner and collector. Bill traveled the world for decades in search of fine gems and minerals, and was directly involved in the in-person acquisition and importation of superb specimens and stones from Myanmar (Burma). You can read his biography at https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/larsonwilliam-f/