10 Dec 2012
13:00 PST
Los Angeles
Natural History-Unmounted Gemstones, Jewelry, Pearls
Back to auction 20082
Natural History-Unmounted Gemstones, Jewelry, Pearls
Back to auction 20082
Very Large Sphalerite—A Member of the 100 Carats Club
Picos de Europa, Santander, Spain
From a very small mine, now closed for at least twenty years, comes this superb and rare faceted sphalerite. Sphalerite, a zinc iron sulfide, is usually found in black and very rarely in the rich orange color seen here—and it is rarely seen cut into a gemstone. The luster of sphalerite is its strongest attribute, i.e. it is adamantine, with a high refractive index and brilliance greater than diamonds. Vivid orange flashes abound in this beautiful modified trillion-cut sphalerite, a large one for the species, which originates from the classic source in Spain.
Weighing approximately 169.3 carats and measuring 36.0 x 31.0 x 20.0mm
From a very small mine, now closed for at least twenty years, comes this superb and rare faceted sphalerite. Sphalerite, a zinc iron sulfide, is usually found in black and very rarely in the rich orange color seen here—and it is rarely seen cut into a gemstone. The luster of sphalerite is its strongest attribute, i.e. it is adamantine, with a high refractive index and brilliance greater than diamonds. Vivid orange flashes abound in this beautiful modified trillion-cut sphalerite, a large one for the species, which originates from the classic source in Spain.
Weighing approximately 169.3 carats and measuring 36.0 x 31.0 x 20.0mm
Sold for
US$ 4,000
inc. premium
Category: Natural History
Auction terms and conditions
Contacts
Claudia Florian
Bonhams
Work
7601 W. Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles,
90046
United States
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+1 323 436 5437
FaxFax: +1 323 850 5843
Auction Administration
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Natural History