Vesuvianite var. Manganoan

Unknown Owner

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These come from the now-defunct Jeffrey Mine in Canada, which once was the largest asbestos producer in North America, I think. The color on this piece is amazing and it also has a special luster that is 1 in 1000, rarely seen on these! Most are green, from here. The few that are purple, tend to be a pale lavender colored or mixed with green tones. The brilliant glassy luster and deep purple color of this piece set it on a level apart from most and only a very few so-called Deep Purple Pockets were ever found in the history of the workings here. (and ANY mn-vesuvianite is quite rare, really). Although the photos are good, the piece is actually quite a bit better and more 3-dimensional in person; and a good bit more intense purple in fluorescent room lights than in halogen as photographed here. It is not entirely pristine, but is nearly so - and certainly on the major crystals where it matters. This piece is from the Ken Rippere collection.