Sphalerite

Item Description

Sphalerite from Colorado is not often seen in faceted gems. As a matter of fact, Sphalerite is a challenge to gem cutters because the material is rather brittle, and its softness and perfect cleavage in six directions make it a one of the more difficult stones to facet. This particular stone is from the lesser known Big Four Mine and shows a very distinctive yellow-green hue with a slight which is arguably the most desirable hue from this locality. The stone is very slightly included, but this is common in Sphalerites, as it's quite rare to find completely clean gems most o the time. The cut on the stone is a "Trillion Brilliant", which is arguably my favorite cut for Sphalerite, because I feel it helps accentuate the dispersion and fire of the material.