Zincite (rare)

Item Description

The are hundreds of mineral species found at Franklin and Sterling Hill, but there are only a few that are faceted into cut stones. Some of the most well-known examples (which are still rare species in terms of gems) are Willemite, Sussexite, Friedelite and of course, Zincite. Keep in mind that most species from Franklin are either too tiny, too devoid of color or too freaking rare to even consider cutting into gems. Zincite is a relatively uncommon oxide and some of the most well known examples of this species are found around Franklin, New Jersey. Keep in mind that these are NATURAL gem grade Zincites, not the byproducts from the furnace fire in Poland. With that said, facetted Zincites from Franklin are still very difficult to obtain. This stone has a deep orange-red color and with an "Oval" cut. It's not transparent, but it does pass light when backlit. This is definitely in the rare category, and with such a fantastic color, it's a great stone for rare gem collectors.