The mineral is deeply beautiful, with larger pieces being cut en cabochon. If they could be found (and that’s a quest of its own) they’d still be unsuitable for jewelry but it’s proof that gem cutters often have outsized levels of persistence.įor most, a simple specimen sitting on the shelf is enough. In spite or perhaps because, of that reason, some extremely skilled cutters have still managed to facet the stone. It’s also micaceous, meaning that small sheets of it flake readily from the main body when the stone is disturbed. Kammererite is very soft, coming in at only 2-2.5 on the Moh’s scale. They resemble high-grade amethyst superficially, but the similarities pretty much stop there. The mineral is mainly found as densely packed formations of crystals. KammereriteĪ little-known, extremely soft mineral, Kammererite is found in Italy. High-grade stones often sell as soon as they’re listed, and the few lower-grade stones around inevitably seem to be found by those willing to pay a serious premium just to own something so rare. While all precious stones are rare in nature, Taaffeite holds the distinction of being one of the few gemstones where you simply may not be able to find it. It’s found in Sri Lanka and Myanmar in very small quantities. Samples are vanishingly rare, and anything that looks affordable is most likely a fake of one variety or another. The stone hasn’t taken off in the fine jewelry world, but it’s well known by collectors and those who try to invest in gemstones. Taaffeite occurs in many colors, but the highest-priced specimens are lavender and deep purple. Taaffeite is the only stone known to have been initially identified as a cut gemstone, having been identified by a man named Richard Taafe who found that it had some discrepancies with the spinel material it was sold as.
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