Sodalite (var: Hackmanite) with Richterite

Item Description

In the early 2000s there were a handful of discoveries of fine quality specimens of Sodalite (var: Hackmanite) from Afghanistan. These pieces are the finest crystallized examples of the species in the world in terms of size, quality, sharpness, color and gemminess. This now famous material is notably hard to find on the market, and good specimens are few and far between. The colors of the these Hackmanites ranges from blue to purple to pink and they show an amazing fluorescence under longwave UV light. This specimen features a fine quality, sharp, well-formed, lustrous, soft purple color Hackmanite crystal measuring 5.7 cm across, which is LARGE not only for the locality, but for Hackmanite in general. If you flip the piece over you'll find associated lustrous, well-formed, soft yellow Richterite (originally thought to be Winchite) crystals on underlying white marble matrix. Both the Hackmanite and the main Richterite crystals are in good condition, with only minor imperfections. We have photographed the specimen under UV light, and the Hackmanite and the Richterite crystals show a whitish yellow hue under SW UV light, but under LW UV light, the Hackmanite crystal is a brilliant peach-orange color with almost no fluorescence from the Richterites. The Hackmanite is also tenebrescent as the crystal will actually turn a darker royal purple color after being exposed to UV light and will eventually return to its original lighter purple hue after a few hours. This process of "changing" the color of the crystal is 100% repeatable, and in no way permanently affects the specimen. A colorful and attractive display specimen of this world-class material. The piece comes with a FREE custom acrylic base for easy display. Priced in the inventory at $4,000.