RUBY CRYSTAL IN MATRIX. ...

Description

RUBY CRYSTAL IN MATRIX
Jegdalek Ruby Deposit, Surobi District, Kabol (Kabul) Province, Afghanistan
It should come as no surprise that good examples of uncut Ruby crystals are a bit on the rare side. Anything even remotely appearing to have decent color will be cut into faceted stones, if transparent enough, and cabochons, if not. The pure white of the marble matrix contrasts starkly against this Ruby's deep red coloration with a hint of purple. Exposure to either short or long-wave ultraviolet (UV) light provokes an absolute blaze of red-orange fluorescence: this can be demonstrated with one of the UV LED flashlights quite nicely. There is a second photo, taken in UV light that demonstrates the effect quite well. There are very sharp 'trigons', crystal growth figures, which can be seen in reflections from the main crystal faces. It took a master preparator to uncover the complete beauty of this specimen and free the crystal from its marble encasement. The Ruby luster is glassy and overall condition is excellent. This unique specimen has been on display at the University of Arizona's exhibit Dangerous Beauty: Minerals of the Hindu Kush for over year. It is accompanied by a watercolor of the specimen by well-known artist Gamini Ratnavira. The specimen measures 2 x 2 x 1 5/8 inches (5 x 5 x 4 cm) overall and has a custom labeled base.

Provenance: ex. Joseph Freilich Collection

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