Titanite (Sphene) (great dispersion)

Item Description

Titanite is not often found in clean enough crystals to yield good gems. Keep in mind that a lot of Titanites often form in very slender crystals, so you need to a fairly good sized crystal to produce a good faceted gem. In the gem world, you will see this material labeled as "Sphene", but mineral dealers will label it by its species name Titanite. "Sphene" is an outdated term, but it still gets a lot of use in the gem world for whatever reason. Regardless, these gems are always popular with dealers and collectors for the superb dispersion. The best stones show a brilliant array of color flash, and look best in sunlight or sometimes under mercury bulbs. This particular stone is a fantastic "Round Brilliant" cut gem with a bright beautiful fiery gold color, and very very slightly inclusions. When you rotate the gem in the light, you can see the dispersion, but it doesn't come through as much in photos as you can see bright red, green and orange flashes in person. There are not many places in the world where good gem quality Titanites are found, and this one would make a great addition to any collection.