Star Sapphire (large stone!) (ex Bill Larson Collection)

Item Description

Here we have a large and impressive Star Sapphire from Thabeikkyin. Rarely do we encounter gems like this. The majority of the Stare Sapphire gems we've sold over the years were from Sri Lanka, and it's a big deal to have a gem of this size from any locality in Myanmar. Star Sapphires are among the most highly sought after of all the Sapphire varieties. These stones are created when thin, fibrous inclusions are oriented inside of the Sapphire crystal at the correct angle and polished in a way to properly show off the "legs" of the star in reflected light. When these inclusions are numerous enough to make the stone translucent or opaque, they allow the reflected light to reveal a star-shaped reflection that "floats" across the top of the stone with movement. It is an amazing phenomenon that is only seen in a few gems around the world. The actual "legs" of the star in this stone are notably sharp, with no breaks and excellent consistency throughout. The color is a soft silvery blue hue. Aside from the large size, what really makes this stone so interesting is that it shows beautiful and defined hexagonal growth patterns, which is rarely observed in these gems. Priced at $3,282.80 retail ($40 per carat). 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/