Tanzanite Gem Crystal (ex. Jaime Bird Coll.)

Item Description

This superbly gemmy tanzanite crystal is STRONGLY trichroic: it is blue seen from one side, purple from the other, and reddish purple from the two ends (though less extreme in this direction). The shift from purple to blue is extreme and very striking, much more than the pics show! Not all tanzanite gem crystals have this strong color shift, and the ones that do are valued more highly. Even without that, this is a VERY clean and gemmy crystal, terminated and complete all around. With the turmoil in Tanzania, tanzanites have gone from moderately "available" to very hard to get, and the prices have rocketed up. Good ones like this were never cheap. Weighs 7 grams. Valued at $900-1,200. (ex. Jaime Bird Coll.)