The Eastern Redbud is a tree with brightly colored flowers in the spring. 10.The Purple Flowering Trees in Virginia Redbud (C. It’s a “look, don’t wear” mineral, but it’s still a collector favorite and readily available in the rock trade. The latter often resemble Chevron Amethyst, with a white and purple banded appearance. 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. Ultimate Guide to Garnets: What They Are and Where To Find Them)Īll stones have origin stories, and the story of Taaffeite is a great one.While a bit on the red side of things, once held up to the light it’s hard to figure out why they aren’t held in the same esteem as other purple gemstones. They’re widely available in both crystal and cut form for those who are interested in them. Rhodolite garnets aren’t cheap but they’re not prohibitively expensive either. Rhodolite’s purple is an anomaly in a gemstone that already shows a wide variety of colors. Garnet, after all, is mainly considered a red stone with the possible inclusions of green tsavorite and demantoid garnets known. They’re often overlooked as a choice in jewelry by most people. Rhodolite garnets are a hybrid variety, consisting of almandine and pyrope garnet crystals packed into the same formation. These deep purple-red gemstones have a way of capturing the eye and their slight shift from burgundy to deep purple depending on the light is entrancing. Of the various orange, red, and purple-ish varieties of this precious stone my personal favorite are rhodolite garnets. Garnets are an obsession for some, myself included.
Fluorite: What It Is and Where To Find It.Just don’t try and stick them in a ring, fluorite is best admired on the shelf. For extra fun, you can even find large, high-grade, cut gemstones with a color-changing quality for far less than any equivalent stone. While fluorite may not be the fanciest or rarest of the many purple minerals out there, it’s a mainstay in collections across the world. It’s also dirt cheap, even at the highest grade, and readily available in all of the popular forms used for collectible stones. The inside of fluorite is often a fantastic blend of internal fractures creating rainbows, interesting inclusions, and a depth that’s almost felt when the surface is done properly. This stone bears a deep purple and light green color, often in separated bands, and it’s what is immediately called to mind for many when they hear the word.įluorite is a soft mineral, easy to carve but not suitable for jewelry. Fluorite comes in many colors, but the most popular seen in the rock trade is rainbow fluorite.
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