Sapphire on Spessartine Garnet - image 1

Sapphire on Spessartine Garnet

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This is a true rarity for Sri Lanka - not only is it a very rare matrix sappire crystal, but it is perched on a gemmy fragment of translucent wine-red spessartine garnet, as a bonus! The Ratnapura gem deposits are mostly gravels, and there are a few mines where these crystals can still be found in situ. This surely came from one of those mines, as it is not rolled or tumbled, and remains sharp. The crystal is translucent and interestingly patterned, reaching 1.5 cm across. I have never seen such a combination, and it makes for one of the more unusual thumbnail specimens in this update. For anybody who wants a competitive-level sapphire crystal, we have to admit that they mostly look kinda the same. This one, however, stands out.