Grandidierite (very rare) on Quartz

Item Description

Grandidierite is one of those gems that you'll often see on the "Top 10 Rarest Gems in The World" lists. It commonly grouped in with gems like Painite, Phosphyllite, Taaffeite, Poudretteite, Benitoite and Jeremejevite. This stone was ranked at #7 on Mining Global's "Top 10 Rarest Gems Found on Earth" list, and it came in at #3 on Forbes' "12 Most Expensive Gemstones In The World" list. Grandidierite was discovered by the French mineralogist, Alfred Lacroix in 1902 and named after French explorer and naturalist Alfred Grandidier (1836-1912), who wrote the great natrual history book: "L'Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar" The first reported locality for the species is at the cliffs of Andrahomana, on the southern coast of Madagascar. The species is a magnesium, iron, aluminun borosilicate and though it has been found in multiple localities around the world, it's still considered exceptionally rare, especially in gem quality material. Like many rare minerals, it's the color that really draws one's attention. The best Grandidierites have a very captivating greenish-blue hue, similar to the top Euclase specimens from Colombia. Specimens of Grandidierite are seldom seen on the market in any size. This particular specimen is from a new discovery of Grandidierite in Madagascar. It is a nice example of the material, as it is not only very good sized, but has wonderful color. It features a striated, translucent group of greenish-blue Grandidierite on partial Smoky Quartz matrix. It's not a world-class specimen, but it's a very good sized reference piece of a very rare and desirable species. If you've always wanted an example of this remarkable material, this is a perfect opportunity to snag a nice piece for a good price. I have seen FACETED STONES of Grandidierite selling for over $5,000 per carat in the past year since this new discovery was made, for reference.