Sodalite (var: Hackmanite)

Item Description

After this limited discovery of GEM QUALITY Sodalite hit the market a in the early-mid 2000's, virtually nothing else has been found. It has only caused the value of these gems to increase over the years and make them some of the most desirable and sought after rare stones on the market. Sodalite is a very durable stone and that's why it is so popular among dealers and collectors alike, but it's often translucent or opaque and rarely WATER CLEAR. The gem variety of Sodalite is called Hackmanite and the material from the Koksha in Afghanistan is tenebrescent, which is the process by which a mineral changes color after being exposed to SW UV Light. This particular stone shows excellent tenebrescence, along with wonderful fluorescence under UV light. The stone fluoresces orange under LW UV light and a soft orange under SW UV light. After the stone is exposed to SW light, it will turn a strong purple color after and then will return to a lighter purple color after being exposed to prolonged daylight. This process is 100% repeatable and in no way hurts the stone. This "Oval Cabochon" cut gem has a soft purple color, with only very slight inclusions, which is very difficult to find in this material. It's larger than most we've had to offer, and make no mistake, this is a worthwhile collectors gem. This material is retailing for HIGH numbers now across the board, and we recently saw some faceted stones that were priced at $1,200 per carat this year in Tucson!