Spinel (large crystal group)

Item Description

The area around the village of Mogok in Myanmar has been the source of the finest crystallized Spinels in the world for hundreds of years. Despite the number of the crystals that have been found, it's important to note that the vast majority of them are under 1 cm. Most people are familiar with the classic red Ruby Spinel crystals from this area, but with the exception of yellow, Spinels come in literally every color of the rainbow. Recently we obtained this large Spinel crystal that was mined circa 2015, and it is one of the more impressive examples of crystallized Spinel that we've handled. I was impressed to see specimens of this size with such excellent crystallization, unique coloring and fine quality. Typically, Spinels will become incredibly distorted, dull and unappealing when they are found in larger crystals, but this crystal group is a superb example of a large Spinel as it is notably sharp, lustrous, and well-formed! It's not "lumpy" or muted like so many of this size can be. It has very smooth octahedral faces with a glistening almost "wet" luster and a beautiful color combination of a grape purple with pink tones swirling throughout. Small areas of the crystal actually show a golden hue on the surface, making for a wonderful contrast. When the crystal is backlit, it shows a gorgeous reddish or golden pink hue on the edges. It's actually OVER 2 inches across at its longest dimension, which is substantial for Spinel! Spinel is one of those gem crystal species which most collector do not have a good example in their collection and a piece like this is certainly better than the vast majority we've seen over the years when compared to crystals of equal size. Specimen weight is 91.8 grams. Valued $2,500.