Spinel on Marble with Pargasite

Item Description

Stunning, beautiful, uncommon rich ruby-red, spinel-twinned spinel crystal is very aesthetically set on the sculptural large undulating plate of sugary marble. The striking, highly lustrous, gemmy/translucent, octahedral crystal is 1.8 x 1.7 x 0.6 cm and is nicely accented with scattered smaller spinel octahedrons and etched octahedrons. The unretouched back lit photo of the spinel twin highlights the gorgeous cherry-red saturation of the gemmy crystal. The lower portion of the marble matrix is enhanced and contrasted with inclusions of uncommon for the locale, mint-green Pargasite, an Amphibole Supergroup species. The Pein-Pyit area is well-known for excellent spinel specimens and this is a very large matrix specimen. See the excellent 2022 Mineralogical Record article in Vol. 53, No. 1. Fairly valued at $2500+.