Benitoite

Unknown Owner

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Well over a dozen blue, zoned, triangular Benitoite crystals adorn the top of this fine small cabinet piece from the classic and type locality for the species. Many of the crystals, like the largest one, are ideally perched upright for ultimate displayability to show off their great form and color zoning. The Benitoites range in size from a few millimeters to several just over a centimeter - and the largest beauty is 1.8 cm in maximum dimension! Many of the crystals are a uniform, rich sapphire blue color. Some, like the large one standing upright is nicely zoned with a thick, dark sapphire blue rim and a pale blue core for great contrast. There should be some cutting rough value inside several of the crystals, as a bonus...although it is a tragedy to cut them. The Benitoites have good to excellent luster with the thin, rectangular prism faces and and small triangular faces at the corners having bright luster. All crystals are perfect except the upright crystal in the middle-right side, which is slightly dinged at the tip on close examination (it is hard to see, and a nice bit of color, so we left it on although the crystal can also be easily removed and picked out if desired). There are small patches of snow-white Natrolite between some of the Benitoite crystals for additional contrast and the medium green-blue serpentine matrix also provides great contrast in color and texture. This is a very fine small cabinet piece with dramatic display qualities.