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Lot 8374
Trapiche Emerald
4 December 2005, 11:00 PST
Los AngelesSold for US$6,462.50 inc. premium
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Find your local specialistTrapiche Emerald
Coscuez, La Peña Blancas
Muzo Mining District, Columbia
Trapiche emeralds are in a class by themselves and are perhaps the rarest and most memorable of “pattern” gems—certainly the most unusual amongst the big three of emerald, ruby and sapphire. Trapiche is the Spanish word for a “spoked wheel” used to grind sugar cane, which bears a striking resemblance to the pattern in these emeralds. They are typically cut en cabochon to display the beautiful spoke-like star which emanates from a hexagonal center with the areas in between filled with lively green emerald. These rays, which appear like asterism, are not caused by light reflections from tiny parallel inclusions (as are stars), but from white albite feldspar impurities that happen to form in the same pattern. Gemological examination shows that the trapiche is a single crystal and not a twinned specimen as was originally thought. Trapiche emeralds are valued based on a number of factors: saturation and even color, clarity, size and the most important being the definition, completeness and centering of the “rays.”
The present cabochon is rare for its large carat weight as well as for the strength and completeness of its well-formed six-rayed star. The cabochon has excellent proportions and possesses the characteristic deep, rich green color of the best quality emeralds from this region. Weighing approximately 14.77 carats and measuring 14.0 x 13.5 x 10.0mm.
Muzo Mining District, Columbia
Trapiche emeralds are in a class by themselves and are perhaps the rarest and most memorable of “pattern” gems—certainly the most unusual amongst the big three of emerald, ruby and sapphire. Trapiche is the Spanish word for a “spoked wheel” used to grind sugar cane, which bears a striking resemblance to the pattern in these emeralds. They are typically cut en cabochon to display the beautiful spoke-like star which emanates from a hexagonal center with the areas in between filled with lively green emerald. These rays, which appear like asterism, are not caused by light reflections from tiny parallel inclusions (as are stars), but from white albite feldspar impurities that happen to form in the same pattern. Gemological examination shows that the trapiche is a single crystal and not a twinned specimen as was originally thought. Trapiche emeralds are valued based on a number of factors: saturation and even color, clarity, size and the most important being the definition, completeness and centering of the “rays.”
The present cabochon is rare for its large carat weight as well as for the strength and completeness of its well-formed six-rayed star. The cabochon has excellent proportions and possesses the characteristic deep, rich green color of the best quality emeralds from this region. Weighing approximately 14.77 carats and measuring 14.0 x 13.5 x 10.0mm.