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Lot 40
Exceptional Trapiche Emerald with Unusual Cat's Eye Effect
7 December 2016, 10:00 PST
Los AngelesUS$6,000 - US$8,000
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Exceptional Trapiche Emerald with Unusual Cat's Eye Effect
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 asterisms, 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 from white albite feldspar impurities that happen to form in the same pattern and that it 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 entering of the "rays". An oval cabochon of exceptional quality, the saturation of green neither too light nor too dark, the clarity between the spokes equally excellent. An interesting phenomenon of a cat's eye effect, not typically seen in trapiche emeralds, is apparent in all six sections. This is a fine example for the knowledgable collector. Weighing approximately 10.80 carats and measuring 16.26 x 14.41 x 5.08mm
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 asterisms, 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 from white albite feldspar impurities that happen to form in the same pattern and that it 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 entering of the "rays". An oval cabochon of exceptional quality, the saturation of green neither too light nor too dark, the clarity between the spokes equally excellent. An interesting phenomenon of a cat's eye effect, not typically seen in trapiche emeralds, is apparent in all six sections. This is a fine example for the knowledgable collector. Weighing approximately 10.80 carats and measuring 16.26 x 14.41 x 5.08mm