Spinel on Calcite

Unknown Owner

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Spinel is one of our favorite gemstones, for the rich color and sharp crystal forms. However, large crystals above 1 cm, with any kind of gemminess or transparency, are rare in nature. This is especially true of MATRIX specimens, hosting such crystals. Most larger spinels we have seen, of any translucency, are loose crystals. This piece, so very carefully excavated by a friend of ours from a raw stone he got from a source (it took a lot of time!), features a 2 x 2 x 2 cm spinel crystal still perched in matrix. Such specimens are few and far between. Moreover, it is a perfectly balanced large miniature due to the clever eye and clever trim. This fine, balanced specimen is about as good a matrix miniature as you can ask for, and with no repairs or restorations to a fairly significant gem species crystal. Not contemporary, as Mogok is now closed and so much infrastructure is not working, this is from older finds. Note fluorescence under UV (shown).