Benitoite Plate. California State Gem Mine, Santa Rita Peak, San Benito Co., California, USA. 8.3 x 6.0 x 3.6 cm (3.27 x 2.3...

Description

Benitoite Plate
California State Gem Mine, Santa Rita Peak, San Benito Co., California, USA
8.3 x 6.0 x 3.6 cm (3.27 x 2.34 x 1.42 in)

Specimen-quality Benitoite is found exclusively from one mine in the world: the California State Gem Mine, also known as the "Benitoite Mine" for obvious reasons. Benitoite is distinctive particularly due to the sharply trigonal shape (not to be confused with being in the trigonal crystal system; Benitoite is hexagonal, crystallographically speaking!) and the deep, yet bright indigo color. With the cloudier, lighter blue centers of the crystals, this color scheme looks like a dusk sky. Many of the crystals, especially the smaller ones, and the terminations of the largest, have very gemmy zones: special and highly desirable for Benitoite in particular, as this appears in only a small number of examples. The largest of the crystals reaches 2.2 centimeters on the edge, which is very large for the species! Under a shortwave UV light, the specimen lights up incredibly with an icy, almost neon-blue color: this color in fluorescence is rarely seen, far less common than your typical greens and oranges. This plate has three restorations on the two largest crystals.

From The Edgehill Collection.

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