Spessartine Garnet with Smoky Quartz and ''Hyalite'' Opal

Item Description

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the famous Wushan Spessartines, which are certainly some of the best examples of the species to come from any locality in the last few decades. The combination of the brilliant luster, excellent color, gemminess and fine crystallization along with the wonderful associated minerals makes them highly desirable. This attractive large cabinet specimen is essentially a large crystallized "plate" loaded with hundreds of fine quality, very lustrous, sparkling, gemmy, brilliant orange color, striated trapezohedra sitting on a layer of cream colored Microcline matrix. Additionally you can see there are also a few sharp, lustrous Smoky Quartz crystals which measure up to 2.3 cm long and are actually virtually WATER CLEAR when backlit. Perhaps the most interesting / eye-catching feature of the piece is that several of the Smoky Quartz crystals have a slightly frosted "cap" which is actually a deposition of translucent white / colorless Opal-AN (formerly "Hyalite" Opal). When the piece is exposed to UV light, the Opal "caps" glow an electric green hue! The combination of these species together is not common from this locality and makes for an impressive and showy specimen. VERY little damage and excellent quality crystals. I really love the fact that the Spessartines are lustrous and smooth - not at all pitted or dull like many Spessartines from various world localities. Although there were many of these specimens on the market, there are few of them on the market now, so if you want big attractive piece of these well-known Garnets, don't miss out on this one. Valued at $3,750 in the inventory.