Phenakite gem crystal

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This glassy and gemmy, light champagne-colored Phenakite crystal from Madagascar measures 3.8 cm in length and is a fine example of the large Phenakite crystals that briefly came out of Madagascar in the late 1990s. It has a glassy luster with well developed prism faces that are ever so slightly striated and a perfect pyramidal termination. The top two-thirds of the crystal is almost completely gem and the bottom third is somewhat clouded by inclusions. It is a lovely single crystal and is a significant example for the locality and the species for its size and crystal habit. Unusually gemmy for the locality! Note that these tend to have slight color, as you see here, while Burmese examples that might look similar at first have a more flat and less pointed termination, and generally no hint of color.