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RLKG-099 Magnesiotaaffeite-2N’2S (formerly Taaffeite) - $1700
Sri Lanka
1.14 carats
9.0 x 5.0 mm
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Taaffeite (the correct name is actually now Magnesiotaaffeite-2N’2S) is one of the great rarities in the gem world. This stone is from the TYPE LOCALITY for the material, and it is a superb quality gem. The clarity and size make this more than just collector quality, it's top notch! Taaffeite is very similar to mauve colored Spinel, and the original stones were actually all sold as Spinel (which can still happen to this day), but it is the characteristic birefringence of Taaffeite which now allows gemologists and gem dealers to identify the material and prevent it from being labeled as the much more common Spinel. Taaffeite as a mineral species is incredibly rare, and facetted gems are becoming more and more difficult to obtain. This stone is a very attractive, purplish-pink color, virtually eye clean, Marquise cut gem. The fact that this stone is over 1 carat is weight makes it truly collector quality, and a very worthwhile stone. Every rare gem collection needs a top quality Taaffeite like this stone in their collection. For future reference, it is most likely that in the gem trade the name "Taaffeite" will mostly likely continue to be used instead of the more cumbersome (though correct) Magnesiotaaffeite-2N’2S.
RLKG-100 Titanite (Sphene) - $750
Afghanistan
4.48 carats
512.1 x 8.7 mm
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Sometimes this species is referred to as "Sphene", but it is an outdated name and the correct name is Titanite, though both are accepted in the gem and mineral world. It seems to me that more often it is referred to as "Sphene" in the gem world and Titanite in the mineral world. Sphene is from the Greek word sphenos which means wedge in allusion to the characteristic wedge-shaped crystals. Titanite alludes to the dark brown to black color of the original specimens which were very rich in Titanium. Faceted Sphene is a wonderful gemstone, rich in fire and with superb intense colors, and typically shows double refraction. This is a great size stone for the material. It is from a fairly new find in Afghanistan that has produced some impressive stones. It has a wonderful greenish-gold color, with only very slight inclusions and a nice Oval cut. Titanite has one of the highest refractive indices of almost any gem in the world. This gem reflects a variety of colors from red to orange to yellow.
RLKG-101 Elbaite (var: “Achroite”) - $1000
Afghanistan
10.91 carats
14.5 x 10.5 mm
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Achroite is the colorless variety of Elbaite Tourmaline, and is not found is great quantity from any locality. Colorless Tourmaline is an indication of the purity of the material as there are little no to imperfections in the chemical formula to create the color. This is often the case with many gems as impurities (chromaphores) actually allow the stones to have their vibrant hues. This stone is an impressive Achroite gem that is virtually eye clean with an Oval cut. You don't see many of these stones on the market these days (especially with over 10 carats with this clarity), and it would make a great addition to any Tourmaline suite to show the diversity of colors (or lack thereof) for this highly popular gemstone.
RLKG-102 Lazulite - $150
Pakistan
0.75 carats
8.9 x 5.0 mm
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There are only a few localities in the world that produce gem quality Lazulite. About 10 years ago, there was a limited find of Lazulite crystals in Pakistan, and they were some of the most unique (and largest) Lazulite crystals ever found. These days, Pakistan produces virtually no Lazulite, so the value of the top crystals and stones is on the rise. This beautiful stone is virtually eye clean, with an attractive mix of yellow and bluish green colors. The stone shows distinct pleochroism when rotated on different axis. Most people are probably familiar with the dark inky-blue Lazulite crystals from Rapid Creek, Canada, but these crystals are often too dark to produce stones that don't appear "black", so to find any gems, even if they're small, with bright color like this, is a real treat. The cut on this stone is a Pear cut.
RLKG-103 Bastnäsite - $250
Pakistan
2.26 carats
11.5 x 5.2 mm
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Within the last few years, the locality at Zagi Mountain in Pakistan has provided collectors with some of the finest quality and amazingly gemmy Bastnäsite specimens. Typically the species forms in relatively thin blades and was not suitable enough for cutting stones. The new find in Pakistan has produced some very thick crystals for the species, many of which were of gem quality. The stones cut from some of these crystals are extremely rare and highly prized by collectors. They often have some sort of inclusions, and completely eye clean gems are very hard to find. This particular stone is a beautiful, rich golden orange color gem with an Elongated Emerald cut. The stone is slightly included, but completely clean stones of this material are exceedingly rare. This stone would fill a spot in any rare gem collection, and considering that this material is not coming out anymore, this is a great opportunity for a rare stone collector to add one of these hard to find gems to their collection.
RLKG-104 Smithsonite - $200
Tsumeb, Namibia
2.48 carats
8.8 x 6.7 mm
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Smithsonite is a relatively rare gem when it comes to facetted stones. I have seen plenty of Smithsonite cabochons, but actual gemstones are not very common. This stone is nearly colorless (it has a very slight yellowish hue), and is slightly "hazy" which is common even in good Smithsonite gems. The stone has an Oval cut, and is a very good size, attractive gem of this material. One does not encounter many of these gems on the market, and no rare gem collection is complete without a good Tsumeb Smithsonite. This stone is one of a handful Smithsonites that I have had to offer in the last few years.
RLKG-105 Chondrodite - $265
Afghanistan
1.06 carats
8.2 x 5.4 mm
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About two to three years ago there was a substantial discovery of what are some of the finest red, gem quality Chondrodites found in recent memory. The crystals were not terribly large, but they were fine quality, and showed a deep orange red hue within. This particular stone was cut from a broken crystal that we purchased two years ago. It is gem quality, make no mistake, but does have some slight inclusions. When viewed in the sunlight, the color is a very rich red with slight orange overtones. The stone has an Oval cut, and is simply a great example of this extremely rare and highly sought after material. I have seen some of these stones selling for up to $500 per carat overseas recently.
RLKG-106 Chondrodite - $140
Afghanistan
0.64 carats
7.0 x 4.5 mm
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About two to three years ago there was a substantial discovery of what are some of the finest red, gem quality Chondrodites found in recent memory. The crystals were not terribly large, but they were fine quality, and showed a deep orange red hue within. This particular stone was cut from a broken crystal that we purchased two years ago. It is gem quality, make no mistake, but does have some slight inclusions. When viewed in the sunlight, the color is a very rich red with slight orange overtones. The stone has an Oval cut, and is simply a great example of this extremely rare and highly sought after material. I have seen some of these stones selling for up to $500 per carat overseas recently.
RLKG-107 Aragonite - $550
Bilin, Czech Republic
14.09 carats
18.0 x 9.25 mm
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This is super rare collector's stone. When is the last time that you can remember seeing a faceted stone of Aragonite? With the exception of the Czech specimens, Aragonite is rarely found in facet grade material. This stone is a wonderful, very very slightly included gem with a beautiful Octagon cut. These gems are very difficult to find these days, and stones this size are not common.
RLKG-108 Triphylite - $165
Brazil
1.68 carats
7.3 x 5.5 mm
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This stone gets its name from the Greek, words "tria", three, plus "phylon", family, because it was thought to contain three cations (Fe, Li, Mg). There have been crystals of Triphylite found in South Dakota up to 6 feet long !! Most of those crystals are opaque and wouldn't be well suited for cutting gems. Brazil is one of the few places that produces gem quality Triphylite and this stone is a a very good size gem for the material. It is very very slightly included and has a very pleasing almost dichroic appearance as it looks somewhat greenish grey one direction, but shows hints of a brownish orange in another direction. It reminds me of Axinite stones that I have seen from Baha. The stone has an Emerald cut, and would make a great addition to any rare stone collection. Enjoy.
RLKG-109 Sapphire - $250
Thailand
1.24 carats
7.7 x 5.6 mm
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Sapphire is one of those gems that comes in virtually every color of the rainbow. With that said, the most recognizable color of Sapphires by far is blue. I've seen literally every shade of blue known to man exhibited in Sapphires, and they are still some of the most popular, durable, colorful and highly sought after gems on the planet. This stone has a beautiful "royal blue" color which shows up well in strong light. The stone is very slightly included and has an Oval cut, which is common for Sapphires.
RLKG-110 Gypsum - $285
Strkovice, Czech Republic
8.26 carats
20.9 x 9.1 mm
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Gypsum certainly is not a rare species, but facetted gems are definitely hard to find. The incredible softness and perfect cleavage of the mineral makes for some very difficult cutting, and only highly skilled gem cutters can facet a stone like this one. This Octagon cut gem has only very slight inclusions, and is essentially colorless. It is a very impressive stone for the size considering that very few are ever available over a few carats.
RLKG-111 Clinozoisite - $55
Pakistan
0.72 carats
5.2 x 4.9 mm
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Clinozoisite forms an isomorphic series with Epidote and Zoisite, and is a relatively rare gem in the world. This stone has a distinct color for Clinozoisite with a blending of yellow and a slight green color, but truly does not show any pleochroism like Epidote, which is one of the better ways to tell that it is truly Clinozoisite. The stones/crystals from Pakistan are actually well documented material, and probably some of the best gem grade Clinozoisite to hit the market in recent years. The stone is only very slightly included with a Square Emerald cut.
RLKG-112 Triplite - $160
Russia
0.32 carats
4.5 x 3.5 mm
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Triplite is not rare in the aspect that it is found in various part of the world, but the large percentage of ALL Triplites around the world are essentially black and opaque, and not gem quality with a bright salmon orange color like this stone ! There was one find of these crystals and rough in Pakistan a few years ago, and they are simply some of the most impressive gems of any phosphate I have seen from any locality. One would be hard pressed to find many gems like this on the market, considering that all of these stones were quickly scooped up when they were made available. This particular stone is very attractive, extremely rare, slightly included, bright salmon orange color stone with an Oval cut. A beautiful stone of this amazingly rare material.
RLKG-113 Axinite - $415
Pakistan
3.32 carats
9.7 x 8.4 mm
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Axinite is typically considered a collector's stone. This particular gem is a lovely golden-brown / purple color gem with a Cushion cut. Axinite rarely forms in crystals that are gemmy or thick enough for faceting. It is indeed a very rare gem considering that rough is extremely difficult to find. To find a gem over 3 carats is very impressive. Axinite gems are rarely completely clean, so inclusions are accepted by most collectors and dealers. This stone is has some slight inclusions, but shows some trichroism as it does a change color when rotated in different directions. Axinite is actually hard enough that it can be worn in jewelry, though it is a bit brittle.
RLKG-114 Apatite - $120
Durango, Mexico
4.03 carats
11.3 x 6.7 mm
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These are some of the most classic Apatites out there. This material is well known for its unique greenish-yellow color. This stone has an Emerald cut and only very very slight inclusions. These stones truly are a lot less common to find on the market today than they were 10-15 years ago and it seems that the material has "dried up". A great collector’s stone with good size, cutting, clarity and color.
RLKG-115 Moldavite - $95
Czech Republic
2.68 carats
10.8 x 10.1 mm
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Moldavite is often referred to as the "gem that fell to earth". This material is believed to have formed when a shower of meteorites fell in what is now the Czech Republic within a one hundred mile area around the Vltava River, which was once called the Moldau, and from which Moldavite gets its name. These stones are actually tektites and Moldavite is a one-of-a-kind tektite. There are many theories where Moldavite originated and the inability of science to resolve the issues with one conclusive explanation of the true origins of Moldavite causes it to remain one of the great mysteries of the gem world. Nonetheless, Moldavite isn't often faceted into gems (usually it is left in it's original form or used for carvings - plus the very unusual form of the "rough" stones doesn't make for very good yield when it comes to cutting stones), and this is a good size stone for the material. The stone has a Heart Brilliant cut, and would make for a beautiful piece of jewelry. There are some slight inclusions, which is par for the course for these stones.
RLKG-116 Gaspéite - $115
Australia
5.62 carats
13.1 x 8.8 mm
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Gaspéite is a somewhat rare carbonate named after the Gaspe Peninsula in Canada. The material is virtually always opaque, and is this is one of the few faceted stones of this material that I've seen. The color of Gaspéite is a very attractive light green, and this stone is no exception. The gem is opaque with an Elongated Cushion cut, but for rare stone collectors, this would make a great addition to any rare stone collection, especially considering that it’s a colorful stone.
RLKG-117 Herderite - $200
Brazil
1.66 carats
7.6 x 5.9 mm
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Herderite is only found in a few localities around the world in gem quality crystals. It is a rare collector gem especially in larger size stones. I have seen quite a few faceted Herderites over the years, and they have some of the most unusual colors in the gem world. This stone is slightly included, and has a light silvery-lilac hue. It has a Rectangle cut, and is a lovely color for this material.
RLKG-118 Chrysoberyl (Cat’s Eye) - $275
Tanzania
1.10 carats
6.5 x 5.5 mm
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This is a wonderful Chrysoberyl "Cat's eye" gem. This stone exhibits a fine green-yellow color. The "eye" in the stone has a great "milk" appearance, creating that highly sought after "milk and honey" effect that is often seen in these gems. There is also a slight golden flash on the perimeter of the stone as well. This stone is one of better and more attractive "Cat's eyes" that I've offered in recent years. I want to point out that this stone is incredibly bright and does not look "dirty" like so many others can be.
RLKG-119 Ussingite - $50
Russia
0.40 carats
9.0 x 4.0 mm
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Ussingite is a colorful member of the Sodalite group usually showing a light pink or violet hue. It was named after Niels Viggo Ussing who was a professor of mineralogy at University of Copenhagen. Most Ussingite, despite the pretty color, is translucent at best, but I've only seen a few facetted stones of this material, and it is extremely rare. This stone is amazingly translucent and has a pleasing purplish-pink color with a standard Marquise cut. Another great rare gem to add to your collection.
RLKG-120 Natrolite - $100
Bound Brook, New Jersey
0.77 carats
7.0 x 6.7 mm
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Natrolite is one of the very few facetable Zeolites in the world. This stone is from the recent collecting at Bound Brook, New Jersey. This gem is an exceptionally rare, virtually eye clean, hard to find, "collector's" stone. The fact that the stone is so clean makes it pretty special. The cut on this stone is a Oval cut. If you're a serious gem collector, you need one of these in your collection, especially if you like to collect gems from North America, or simply from the United States.
RLKG-121 Sodalite (var: “Hackmanite”) - $470
Afghanistan
1.88 carats
9.3 x 7.6 mm
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Since this new find of Sodalite hit the market a few years ago, I have been quite impressed with the amount of relatively clean stones out there. Sodalite is a very durable stone and that's why it is so popular among dealers and collectors alike. The gem variety of Sodalite is Hackmanite and it is tenebrescent which is the process by which a mineral changes daylight color after being exposed to SW Light. This stone is very tenebrescent and also shows a good LW/SW Fluorescence. The stone fluoresces orange under LW and light orange under SW. The Hackmanite will turn a PURPLE color after being exposed to prolonged SW light and then will return to a lighter purple color after being exposed to prolonged daylight. This process is 100% repeatable and in no way hurts the stone. This gem is nearly colorless, but it's definitely a larger stone and one of the better quality gems in this size range that I've seen. The stone is only very slightly included, which is very difficult to find in this material, and make no mistake, this is a significant collectors gem. This material is retailing for HIGH numbers now across the board, and I recently saw some stones in Munich that were priced at $400 per carat.
RLKG-122 Brazilianite - $125
Brazil
1.88 carats
7.45 x 6.33 mm
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Brazilianite is one of the most attractive gems out there, as the best stones truly do not resemble anything else. There are very few localities for gem material in the world, and Brazil remains the only country that produces fine stones with any consistency. This "Emerald" cut gem has a beautiful light greenish-yellow color and is only very very slightly included (it was very difficult to photograph but looks nice in person). I rarely have these stones available, so don't miss out on this one.
RLKG-123 Danburite - $385
Mexico
9.66 carats
17.8 x 11.9 mm
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Danburite is one of those gems that aren’t often seen in today's market. It is a hard and durable stone which makes it great for jewelry. It is not an extremely rare gem, but there is truly only locality that produces good quality stones in larger sizes. This particular gem is a large, bright, attractive Pear cut stone. You don't see many 9+ (!) carat Danburites around, so don't miss out on this one. Stones like this are well above "collector quality", this is a very good gem.
RLKG-124 Nambulite - $155
Namibia
0.89 carats
5.8 mm
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Another wonderful rare gem! Nambulite is a Manganese silicate that is only found in a few world localities, the most famous being the Kombat mine near Tsumeb. This material is almost never seen in cut stones, and the best crystals came out of the ground long ago, never to be mined again. All of the best cut stones are buried away in collections now. This material has a distinctive orange-red or pinkish-red color and most collectors do not have a cut Nambulite in their collections. Now this stone is translucent, not true gem quality, but you rarely see these gems available for purchase, so I think that scarcity of this stone makes up for the fact that it isn't as gemmy as some would like. The stone has a Round cut and I’m sure it will find a home in somebody’s rare stone collection.
RLKG-125 Vanadium Beryl - $65
Nigeria
0.44 carats
7.9 x 2.9 mm
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The color in this stone is really unique. It's somewhere between a light colored Emerald and a darker colored Aquamarine. The stone is a good mix of blue and green, and somewhat reminds me of the color seen in the Copper-bearing Tourmalines from Nigeria. Almost all Beryl contains some kind of a chromaphore that causes the different color (i.e., iron, chromium, manganese etc) but you rarely see Beryls that carry a trace of Vanadium. Honestly, I have only seen a few of these stones over the years, and they're always small, but the color is really pleasing. This stone is virtually eye clean with a Rectangle cut. A great stone for Beryl collectors.
RLKG-126 Pollucite - $525
Afghanistan
10.55 carats
5.1 x 4.2 mm
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Pollucite is a very rare Cesium bearing Zeolite mineral, and one of the very few facettable Zeolites in the world. Cut stones are extremely rare, and are highly sought after by collectors. Strangely, this Zeolite is most often found in granitic pegmatites as opposed to Igneous deposits like most Zeolites. In recent years, some great gem quality Pollucites have been coming out of Afghanistan, and it really did a lot to help bolster the supply of gem Pollucites in the world. This gem is a remarkable, very slightly included, colorless stone with a Pear cut. This material is prized for its rarity, and all great rare stone collections need to have a good Pollucite in them.
RLKG-127 Bixbyite - $50
Utah
0.48 carats
6.8 mm
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This rare oxide is almost never seen in cut stones, and for any rare stone collector I can't imagine that you'd want to pass up this chance to add a very rare cut stone like this to your collection. The stone itself it opaque, but it’s a very hard to find gem of a rare species that is not often faceted. This stone would fit in very well amongst a “black” stone collection. It might be small, but you'd be hard pressed to find another one. Most rare gem dealers don't even have a piece of this material to cut let alone to offer for sale in the finished product. This is one of the very few facetted Bixbyite stones that I've seen. A nice gem for a good price that will allow you cross one off your checklist of rare stones.
RLKG-128 Orthoclase - $255
Madagascar
12.74 carats
20.0 x 11.8 mm
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Last but not least is one of the most classic gem grade Feldspars in the world. These Orthoclase gems and crystals have been around for some time. The locality in Madagascar for this material is actually an old Dana locality. The stone is a very pleasing yellow color with a Cushion cut. This stone is from a very old stash of gem rough, and is only very very slightly included. Gem quality Feldspars are not common, especially in stones over 12 carats like this!
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COLLECTOR GEMS PAGE THREE |
COLLECTOR GEMS PAGE FOUR |
| CUT & ROUGH MOUNTED SETS |
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