Pala International’s Featured Stones – 2015
Featured in Pala’s Gem News. See previous:
October 15, 2015: Dumortierite from Tanzania
Pala International is lucky to have a large body of gemologically oriented readers. We get mail daily with articles and new localities and offers of rare gemstones. Our featured gem this month comes from just such an enthusiastic reader. And it is offered here for sale: a rare gem-quality dumortierite of extraordinary color with a GIA certificate. Let this be a reminder to keep Pala in mind for exceptional rare gems that you all find along the path of collecting. A simple rough purchase turns into potentially one of the rarest and largest of its kind. Fancy-colored sapphires are common in the Umba Valley, since rough has been mined and traded there for a long time. A gem dealer bought a few pieces of what were thought to be sapphire and to his surprise, after cutting and certification, one orange-pink piece turned out to be dumortierite. An anomaly amongst the sapphire fields in Umba, dumortierite is a more complex mineral of the neosilicate group. Dumortierite is defined by the chemical structure Al7O3-(BO3)(SiO4)3, and is most often found in gem-grade material as small included blue crystals. This extremely unique orange-pink hue is reminiscent of a padparadscha sapphire and is a one-of-a-kind piece.
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September 15, 2015: Himalaya Mine Tourmaline Amongst the more desirable rough and cut gem minerals is the iconic Himalaya Mine bi-color tourmaline. San Diego County has been referred to as a "gem basket." Seeing is believing. The classic tourmaline crystal form and the striking color banding have made these a must-buy for the dedicated collector. This month we offer you both: a crystal that has in it a beautiful center section showing the gem potential, and alongside it the finished gem. Production at this location has been sparse and availability is now difficult to obtain. This is a rare opportunity.
Interested? Call (phone numbers below) or email us to inquire. [back to top] |
August 17, 2015: Pezzottaites from Madagascar This month we feature not only one, but two world class pezzottaite pieces from Madagascar. This is a truly rare collectible gem that was only identified in 2003 by Dr. Federico Pezzotta in Madagascar at the Sakavalana Mine. A newcomer to the gem world with extremely intense and saturated colors unlike any other, it is one of nature's rare beauties. Pezzottaite is a cesium (Cs) rich member of the beryl group. Pezzottaite is in the trigonal crystal system, while beryl falls into the hexagonal system.
We just recently picked up the cat's eye pictured above at this summer's Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines show and Pala International's Bill Larson pulled the kite shape out of his personal collection to offer it on the market. Pezzottaite is often included in large sizes, and in the cat's eye those inclusions lined up well enough to create a nice chatoyancy. The faceted gem is huge for the species and represents some of the best color to be found. See more on pezzottaite at Gemdat.org. |
July 17, 2015: Yellow Sapphire from Sri Lanka This month we feature a stunning yellow sapphire from Sri Lanka. This intense 6.40-carat sapphire exhibits the best qualities of yellows from this dominant source of fancy colors. Fine yellow sapphire can range from pastel yellow to intense golden varieties with a stronger orange component. Demand for yellow, purple, green, white, and many variations of sapphire hues has increased as curiosity beyond the standard blue and red (ruby) varietals has surged. With so many unique colors of sapphire to explore, the market has been growing and appreciating. Our yellow sapphire is featured below with a golden mountain lily flower, which was recently plucked from above the Mountain Lily mine here in San Diego County, where Pala International is currently mining.
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June 15, 2015: Demantoids from Russia Our featured stones for this month hail from the Kladovka Mine in the Ural Mountains of Russia. These stunning demantoids were mined in 2004 but only recently cut by master Marty Key. The 2.57-carat round is the finest green of this material's production.
For more on demantoid garnet, see "Reds Turn to Green: Russia's Stunning Demantoid Discovery" on Palagems.com. |
May 18, 2015: Joe Kast Collection This month we feature some highlights from the Joe Kast Collection. This collection exhibits a full spectrum of colors from the corundum family and a strong selection of emeralds as well. Please call to hear more about this important collection—or see it in person at the Las Vegas show.
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April 16, 2015: Ruby from Burma This month we feature a corundum from Burma that lies somewhere between ruby and pink sapphire.
There are certain stones that hit the market that are too vibrant and rare in color to be able to quickly attach a pink sapphire label. They posses qualities that pull them toward that of a ruby but are not the classic, more pure red color. You hear the term pink ruby thrown around occasionally and question the validity, but when you actually see stones like this you start to understand why the term was born. This month's featured gemstone is truly a pink ruby, a shocking blend of pink and red that is completely unique. Just as a fine padparadscha is a delightful blend of pink and orange, this gem blends the best of pink and red. Interested? Select the inventory number above, call or email us to inquire. [back to top] |
March 17, 2015: Chrome Green Tourmaline This month we feature a spectacular chrome green tourmaline from Tanzania. Although copper seems to be the most sought-after chromophore in tourmaline these days, chromium is an exotic player that produces some amazing green hues in tourmaline. Chrome tourmalines outshine your average greens with elevated grassy-to-intense-evergreen hues. These exceptional greens can easily be mistaken with the tsavorite garnet varieties, as they are found in similar areas of east Africa and can be identical in color. Our featured stone exhibits all the best qualities of chrome tourmaline: electric green hue, flawless interior, and a highly brilliant cut.
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February 17, 2015: Spessartite from Tanzania This month we feature a pair of exceptional pumpkin-orange spessartites from Tanzania. This impressive pair weighs in at 16.52 carats total weight and are perfectly matched with ideal-cut cushion faceting.
Spessartite (aka spessartine) has seen quite a change in the marketplace. Demand has continued to go up as collectors expand into the more rare varieties of garnet. There are still some spessartites from the long exhausted Nigerian deposit on the market, but inventories are diminishing and prices are rising. The new Tazanian deposit has started to fill in the gap on spessartite supply with a range of sizes and beautiful mandarin and pumpkin colors. The material tends to have some clarity issues but we have seen some cleaner stones popping up recently. We have a large selection from both deposits and even a few from Namibia and San Diego County. For more on this material, see our Spessartite Buying Guide. Interested? Select inventory number above, call or email us to inquire. [back to top] |
January 15, 2015: Cambodian Zircon This month we feature an exceptional blue zircon from Cambodia. Weighing in at 36.11 carats, this zircon is quite a large specimen, as most blue zircon are found under 5 carats; over 10 carats is quite rare for this type of color. Not only is the size impressive but the color hits the sweet spot for zircon. The swimming-pool blue is reminiscent of a fine paraiba and invites you to dive in. Blues of this size are often too dark or off-color. The strong doubling shows up more in the photo than in hand, but it's a good optical tool to identify zircon.
Our new supplier continues to bring in beautiful zircons, and the last lot yielded this rare beauty. We continue to hold good stock in blue zircon with a wide variety of shapes, sizes and matched pairs. Check out our previous post on the blue zircon connection.
Interested? Select inventory number above, call or email us to inquire. [back to top] |
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