Nepheline

Item Description

Nepheline is a Feldspathoid mineral, which is related to Feldspar, and is defined as a silica-undersaturated aluminosilicate. It's found in intrusive and volcanic rocks with low silica. It gets its name from the From the Greek nephele, "cloud," because it becomes clouded when put in strong acid. Good crystals are not terribly common, and most are micro, but I've seen crystal sections and pieces of rough that produce nice gems like this one. This particular stone is an attractive soft golden-yellow color, translucent "Roval Cabochon" cut gem from the Tawmaw Mine in Myanmar (Burma). I've only seen a few of these, and it's certainly considered a rare stone for collectors, though it's not extremely rare in the mineral world.