Ruby (old classic material) (ex Al Kidwell Collection)

Item Description

Here we have a wonderful matrix display piece of these old classic Ruby specimens from the Kleggåsen Ruby Quarry in Norway. The piece hosts dozens of rich purplish-red crystals, some of which are very well-formed with distinct, sharp, lustrous hexagonal faces sitting in Syenite matrix with a bit of associated green Fuchsite (a chromium bearing variety of Muscovite). The Rubies show a bright red fluorescence under LW UV light. You rarely seen these on the market anymore, and a piece like this would make a very worthwhile addition to any suite of gem crystal specimens, or old time European classics. From the worldwide mineral collection of Albert Lewis Kidwell (January 1, 1919 - August 16, 2008). Al was a well-known mineral collector and research geologist with Carter Oil Company and later Exxon Oil Company in Houston, Texas. The phosphate species Kidwellite was named in his honor in 1974 ( https://www.mindat.org/photo-326405.html ).