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CUT & ROUGH MOUNTED SETS |
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RLKG-053 Fluorite - $950
Rosiclare level, Denton mine, Hardin County, Illinois
48.37 carats
20.02 x 19.58 mm
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Hardin County, Illinois was long known for it's spectacular Fluorite specimens. Sadly this area is now completely defunct and this material will only be found in old collections and dealer's inventories. The Fluorites from this area are found in a myriad of colors, and because of the larger size of the crystals, some spectacular gemstones have been cut. Yellow is a fairly common color for Fluorite from the Denton mine, but is rather rare from most other world localities. One of the great aspects of Fluorite is the fact that large, colorful gems can be cut that are still affordable in bigger stones. This particular gem is a beautiful golden yellow stone that is virtually eye clean with a Square Emerald cut. This mine is one of the few places in the world where one can find a large yellow Fluorite in this quality. This stone would make for a splendid mate with a specimen from this mine to create a stellar "rough and cut" set.
RLKG-054 Rhodochrosite - $1800 (SOLD)
N'Chwaning Mines, Kalahari Manganese Field, South Africa
5.01 carats
16.14 x 9.11 mm
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These are some of the most recognizable Rhodochrosites in the world for their distinct and vivid flame red color. The N'Chwaning mines along with the Sweet Home mine are the two premier localities for Rhodochrosite in the world. Even though the Sweet Home mine has produced some rather large gems, N'Chwaning rarely forms crystals large enough to cut gems this size. This stone is one of the finest gems from this locality that I have had in my hands in a long time. The color is as intense as Rhodo gets from N'Chwaning. The gem has a Marquise cut, and is only very very slightly included, which is to be expected in a gem this size. A truly impressive collector quality Rhodo gem that would make for a superb "rough and cut" set with a specimen from this mine.
RLKG-055 Apatite (Large and neon) - $4950 (SOLD)
Madagascar
33.60 carats !
26.24 x 17.02 mm
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This is simply the largest stone of this material that I've ever handled. Apatite is usually found in somber color gems and stones up to 10 carats are not common. This material from Madagascar is most often seen in stones about 1-2 carats in weight, and this stone blows them out of the water. First off, you never see gems with this color from any locality in this size. The intensity of the blue in this gem is as rich and saturated as any neon Apatite I've seen from Madagascar. The color in person has a slight green overtone that does not show up in the photos, but it is still very rich. Secondly, the clarity of this gem is superb as it is only very very slightly included, which is more than forgivable in a stone this size. An amazingly impressive museum quality stone with outstanding color and sheer weight.
RLKG-056 Cassiterite - $2975 (RESERVED)
China
13.20 carats
13.95 x 9.25 mm
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Cassiterite is only found in facet grade material from a handful of localities around the world. Prior to the new find of gem Casstierite in China, the majority of the world's facet rough came from the Viloco mine in Bolivia. This new Chinese material is proving to rival and even surpass the Bolivian material in some respects. These new Chinese stones are not only colorless and brown, but some of them show beautiful golden hues. This stone is a relatively large gem for Cassiterite and because of the sheer density of the material, the weight is much more than most other stones in this size range. The color of the stone is a straw yellow hue (perhaps a bit lighter than the photos would indicate). The stone is amazingly clean for a gem this size as it is only very very slightly included. One of the other great aspects of Cassiterite is the high refractive index of the material which allows for superior light return and sometimes color flash. You can see the color flash in the photo I took viewing through the pavillion of the gem. Overall, I think this gem is a world class Cassiterite and would not be easy to replace.
RLKG-057 Scolecite - $1200 (SOLD)
India
4.80 carats
21.58 x 7.15 mm
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Scolecite is one of the few facettable Zeolites out there, and the Indian specimens have provided us with some of the largest cut gems of Scolecite in the world. Typically, Scolecite is not seen in gems much over 2 carats, and because the material is not very dense, larger size stones do not often weigh a great deal. With that said, this is one of the largest Scolecite gems I have seen or handled. Scolecite crystals are always thin and prismatic so the majority of these stones are cut into elongated Emerald cuts, like this stone. This gem is slightly included and is superb quality for this material. These stones are highly valued for their rarity among collectors, and though they are not suited for jewelry, stones like this belong in the best of rare stone collections. It is a superb facetted Zeolite of considerable size, especially since the stone is thicker than the majority of all Scolecite CRYSTALS extant.
RLKG-058 Manganotantalite (outstanding stone) - $11,000 (RESERVED)
Afghanistan
8.35 carats
15.78 x 10.88 mm
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This stone for all intents and purposes, is one of the finest facetted Manganotantalites in the world. For years, the only two regions that produced gem grade Manganotantalite were Minas Gerais, Brazil and Alto Ligonha, Mozambique. In recent years, we have seen some spectacular Manganotantalite coming out of Afghanistan, and the color is as rich and vibrant as any other locality. This gem is most definitely the finest cut stone of this material that I've seen from Afghanistan. Because of the density of this material, gems are often quite heavy, even in smaller stones. This stone has an intense blood red color, and there is no hint of brown to be seen, like many of the stones from Brazil and Mozambique. . The stone has a Cut Corner Triangle cut or Shield cut depending on how you view it. The stone is only very very slightly included. I would consider to be a world class gem and in the highest ranks of ultra-rare collector quality gems. This stone is virtually impossible to replace as Afghanistan truly has not produced much in the way of Manganotantalite rough in recent years.
RLKG-059 Willemite - $2750 (SOLD)
Tsumeb, Namibia
4.89 carats
11.07 x 8.65 mm
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Willemite is not often seen in facetted gems, and stones of this size are rare for sure. There are only a handful of localities in the world where facet grade Willemite occurs, and the majority of this material is from Franklin, New Jersey. Tsumeb is known for gem quality Willemites, but crystals (or crystal aggregates) are not often large enough to cut stones over 1-2 carats. This particular gem is a superb Willemite for Tsumeb. It has a beautiful golden-peach color which is not often seen from Tsumeb. The stone is very well cut as Willemite is difficult to polish. It is slightly included, and most gems this size are rarely eye clean. I have seen plenty of blue and green Willemite from Tsumeb, but it would be a real treat to find a specimen to match the color of this stone and create an epic "rough and cut" set. As far as rarity is concerned, this stone is up there for sure, and the rough from Tsumeb is nearly impossible to obtain these days.
RLKG-060 Wulfenite - $2450 (SOLD)
Tsumeb, Namibia
6.63 carats
12.45 x 6.53 mm
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Wulfenite is one of the rarest gems to obtain in the world, especially considering that it is not a terribly rare mineral. Typically most collectors see stones from Arizona or Morocco but when stones from Tsumeb are available, they are snatched up immediately. This particular stone is only very slightly included and has a fantastic light golden color with absolutely amazing dispersion. You can see by the photos that I've taken through the pavillion of the stone that it has dozens of multi-color rainbow flashes throughout the gem. It looks like a Cassiterite or a Cerussite. The gem has an Elongated Cushion cut. To find a gem like this over 6 carats is truly unbelievable. You may not see another stone like this from Tsumeb for a long time. One simply does not encounter a Wulfenite of this color, clarity, size and beauty from ANY locality. Tsumeb collectors would flip to own this gem I think. This stone was not easy to photograph and it does look better in person than the photos would indicate. I will say that the stone looks best under halogen lighting if you have it available. It almost looks synthetic under halogen lamps. A superb Tsumeb Wulfenite gem, worthy of any rare stone collection.
RLKG-061 Powellite - $2950 (SOLD)
Nasik, India
5.09 carats
10.00 x 7.74 mm
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Powellite is among the rarest of collector gems. There is truly only locality in the world where facet grade Powellite occurs in any significance, which is Nasik, India. Powellites over 2 carats are rare, and the fact that this stone is over 5 carats is notable for sure. The stone is very well cut with an Emerald Brilliant cut and looks amazing face up. This gem is very very slightly included with a slight golden hue. I must say that this is one of the best gems in this update and would absolutely fit perfectly with a gemmy Powellite crystal as a "rough and cut" set. When it comes to the combination of rarity and quality, this stone is undoubtedly in the upper ranks.
RLKG-062 Jeremejevite - $580
Mile 72, Swakopmund District, Namibia
0.29 carats
4.44 x 3.03 mm
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Jeremejevite is a very rare borate, and one of the most highly sought after mineral species in the world. Cut stones of Jeremejevite are virtually impossible to find on the market these days, and the top stones are highly prized by collectors. This stone is from the historic Mile 72 locality in the Swakopmund District of Namibia, and is the premier locality for Jeremejevite in the world. This stone looks much better in person than the photos would indicate. Although it is very slightly included, the inclusions are amplified by the fact that such a small stone is magnified in the photos to several times its size. With that said, the color in this gem is a good medium blue, and not at all grey, yellow or colorless like many Jeremejevite gems from this area. The stone has a Cushion cut and is very attractive for the material. You do not see Jeremejevite gems on the market today, and the majority of the best crystals are stashed away in old collections and museums. A great opportunity to own a fine quality, colorful collector gem from a premier locality.
RLKG-063 Jeremejevite - $1140
Mile 72, Swakopmund District, Namibia
0.57 carats
6.01 x 4.01 mm
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Jeremejevite is a very rare borate, and one of the most highly sought after mineral species in the world. Cut stones of Jeremejevite are virtually impossible to find on the market these days, and the top stones are highly prized by collectors. This stone is from the historic Mile 72 locality in the Swakopmund District of Namibia, and is the premier locality for Jeremejevite in the world. This stone looks much better in person than the photos would indicate. Although it is very very slightly included, the inclusions are amplified by the fact that this small stone is magnified in the photos to several times its size. With that said, the color in this gem is a vibrant blue, and not at all grey, yellow or colorless like many Jeremejevite gems from this area. The stone has an Emerald cut and is very attractive for the material. You do not see Jeremejevite gems on the market today, and the majority of the best crystals are stashed away in old collections and museums. A great opportunity to own a fine quality, colorful collector gem from a premier locality.
RLKG-064 Jeremejevite - $2620 (SOLD)
Mile 72, Swakopmund District, Namibia
1.31 carats
8.35 x 4.86 mm
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Jeremejevite is a very rare borate, and one of the most highly sought after mineral species in the world. Cut stones of Jeremejevite are virtually impossible to find on the market these days, and the top stones are highly prized by collectors. This stone is from the historic Mile 72 locality in the Swakopmund District of Namibia, and is the premier locality for Jeremejevite in the world. This is a very good sized stone of this material, as most Jeremejevite gems are under 1 carat, and this gem is well over 1 carat. With that said, the color in this gem is a good medium blue, and not at all grey, yellow or colorless like many Jeremejevite gems from this area. The stone has a Scissor cut and is very attractive for the material. You do not see Jeremejevite gems on the market today, and the majority of the best crystals are stashed away in old collections and museums. A great opportunity to own a fine quality, colorful collector gem from a premier locality.
RLKG-065 Jeremejevite - $2120
Mile 72, Swakopmund District, Namibia
1.06 carats
6.22 x 4.85 mm
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Jeremejevite is a very rare borate, and one of the most highly sought after mineral species in the world. Cut stones of Jeremejevite are virtually impossible to find on the market these days, and the top stones are highly prized by collectors. This stone is from the historic Mile 72 locality in the Swakopmund District of Namibia, and is the premier locality for Jeremejevite in the world. This is a very good sized stone of this material, as most Jeremejevite gems are under 1 carat, and this gem is over 1 carat. With that said, the color in this gem is a light medium blue, and not at all grey, yellow or colorless like many Jeremejevite gems from this area. The stone has an Emerald cut and is very attractive for the material, with very slight inclusions. You do not see Jeremejevite gems on the market today, and the majority of the best crystals are stashed away in old collections and museums. A great opportunity to own a fine quality, colorful collector gem from a premier locality.
RLKG-066 Jeremejevite - $1375
Mile 72, Swakopmund District, Namibia
0.55 carats
5.90 x 3.38 mm
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Jeremejevite is a very rare borate, and one of the most highly sought after mineral species in the world. Cut stones of Jeremejevite are virtually impossible to find on the market these days, and the top stones are highly prized by collectors. This stone is from the historic Mile 72 locality in the Swakopmund District of Namibia, and is the premier locality for Jeremejevite in the world. This stone is only one in this update that shows a slight purple overtone, which is quite rare in my experience. I think the saturation of this stone is exceptional, especially for the size. With that said, the color in this gem is a light medium blue, and not at all grey, yellow or colorless like many Jeremejevite gems from this area. The stone has a wide Trillion cut and is very attractive for the material. It is very slightly included. You do not see Jeremejevite gems on the market today, and the majority of the best crystals are stashed away in old collections and museums. A great opportunity to own a fine quality, colorful collector gem from a premier locality.
RLKG-067 Jeremejevite - $2180
Mile 72, Swakopmund District, Namibia
1.09 carats
6.67 x 4.90 mm
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Jeremejevite is a very rare borate, and one of the most highly sought after mineral species in the world. Cut stones of Jeremejevite are virtually impossible to find on the market these days, and the top stones are highly prized by collectors. This stone is from the historic Mile 72 locality in the Swakopmund District of Namibia, and is the premier locality for Jeremejevite in the world. This is a very good sized stone of this material, as most Jeremejevite gems are under 1 carat, and this gem is over 1 carat. With that said, the color in this gem is a good medium blue (there is a slight purple overtone that is not showing up in the photos), and not at all grey, yellow or colorless like many Jeremejevite gems from this area. The stone has a Barion cut and is very attractive for the material with very slight inclusions. You do not see Jeremejevite gems on the market today, and the majority of the best crystals are stashed away in old collections and museums. A great opportunity to own a fine quality, colorful collector gem from a premier locality.
RLKG-070 Aquamarine - $495
Brazil
12.91 carats
20.05 x 13.88 mm
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Beryl comes in virtually every color of the rainbow. This particular gem is a very unique, beautiful light blue Aquamarine from the Brazilian gem fields. This stone has some minor tube inclusions, but they really hide well when the stone faces up. The stone has a very unique and alluring "Concave Double Heart" cut. The stone recently was cut from a 40-year-old piece of rough that was stashed long ago. It's a very size stone for a pendant if you so wish, but it would stand alone as a great single stone in a shelf or gem box. Gem quality Aquas are becoming more and more difficult to buy (for reasonable prices) from Brazil, and it seems that the cost of these gems keeps going up every year. A totally one-of-a-kind gem as it simply has a very unique cut, unlike 99% of the gems on the market today.
RLKG-071 Natrolite - $175 (SOLD)
Bound Brook Quarry, New Jersey
1.41 carats
9.12 x 5.82 mm
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This gem is an exceptionally rare, rather large, virtually eye clean, hard to find, collector's stone. The stone has a Pyramid Table Emerald cut, and is very bright for this material. Natrolite is one of the very few facettable Zeolites in the world. This stone is from slightly older mining at Bound Brook, New Jersey. 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. There is very little of this material available on the market, and the stones from Bound Brook are for all intents and purposes, the finest facetted Natrolites in the world, so do not miss out on this one.
RLKG-072 Sphalerite - $375
Santander, Spain
9.67 carats
13.59 mm
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Some of the best color Sphalerite in the world comes from Spain. A large percentage of the stones that come from Spain are on the warmer end of the spectrum, but rarely does one find a stone with a distinct green color like this from Santander. This stone has very good dispersion, color, size and excellent cutting. The color of the stone is a combination of green and yellow, and faces up to show a splendid array of color. This stone is amazingly clean for this material as it is very hard to obtain totally eye clean stones from this area. I would say the gem is very slightly included, but when you find a stone this color with this clarity, and in this size, it is a real treat. I have a hard time finding this color of Sphalerite from Spain, especially in this size. The cut on the stone is a Trillion Brilliant. Make sure to take advantage of this opportunity to own an attractive, good size, beautiful rare collector stone.
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COLLECTOR GEMS PAGE TWO |
COLLECTOR GEMS PAGE THREE |
CUT & ROUGH MOUNTED SETS |
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