Charoite

Item Description

Charoite gets is name from the Charo River in Russia. The best known material is from Russia, and forms as a result of the alteration of limestone under intense heat and pressure. The unique alkali-rich Nephiline in Charoite gives it the unique purple color. These stones are almost always opaque, but the color is what draws collectors. This material is relatively new to the market as it was only introduced to the west in 1978. Typically, Charoite has mutlicolor banding and swirling which mixes purple and white streaks, but this stone is fairly uniform in color, which is pretty rare for Charoite in my experience. The most impressive aspect of this "Shallow Emerald" cut stone is the fact that it is NOT opaque, but actually very slightly translucent around the edges. A great rare and colorful gem for any collection. Valued at $706.50 high end retail.