Vesuvianite (large crystal for the locality)

Item Description

The Jeffrey Mine in Quebec is one of the most well-known Canadian localities, producing some of the world's finest and most colorful Vesuvianite crystals for decades. The locality is now completely closed, and specimens are much harder to find on the market than they were a few years ago. This piece is a remarkably large crystal for the locality, measuring well over 2 inches in length. The piece predominantly shows the classic green hue seen from the locality, but there are small purplish areas of color (caused by manganese content), creating a beautiful effect. The main crystal plays host to several smaller Vesuvianites around the central portion, giving the piece character and style, so it's not just a single "stick". The luster is certainly above average for the material, and when strongly backlit, you can see a bit of internal translucency in the piece. From the front/display side, the piece is in good shape, with only a few small "rubs", but it should be noted that there is decent sized contact on the back of the termination, so it's not completely pristine. When viewed from the front, you can't see the contact on the termination, but it's important to note that it's there. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the piece is the fact that it's actually doubly-terminated, as the base of the crystal is re-crystallized ("re-healed") where it detached from the pocket wall. This is not commonly seen in these specimens, especially in pieces this size. Valued at $3,000, but were it completely perfect, I could easily see it retailing in the $7,500 range.