Corundum var: Ruby (doubly-terminated)

Item Description

A fine quality Ruby crystal from Mahenge, Tanzania with sharp, lustrous, well-formed faces and a deep pinkish-red hue when backlit. Most of the Rubies we've seen from this area are often dull and rounded, but this one stands out with sharp defined faces and glistening luster. The tapered pyramidal termination is not common for this material, and there is a basal termination on the other end, so it's a doubly-terminated crystal, but not a complete "floater". This is an older crystal from about 20-25 years ago, and the only reason it survived is because it's not true gem quality, otherwise it would have been cut into a gemstone. There is a contact on the front, so the piece is not pristine, and it's not fully crystallized on the back, but the overall quality is still quite good for the locality, and the color is about as saturated as I've seen from Mahenge. A great piece for any collector of thumbnails, gem crystals or minerals of Tanzania. Specimen weight is 7.87 grams.