Rare and Exceptional Grandidierite and Diamond Ring
Madagascar
Grandidierite is a rare mineral that was first discovered in 1902 in southern Madagascar. The mineral was named in honor of French explorer Alfred Grandidier (1836–1912) who studied the natural history of Madagascar and wrote a 40 volume treatise entitled, L'Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar.
With a relative Mohs hardness of 7.5, Grandidierite is ideally suited for mounting as jewelry--when it can be discovered--yet most crystals found are dull and opaque with a pearly luster.
The present offering is an absolutely unique gemstone of nearly 7 carats: faceted as a cushion-shape brilliant-cut having a remarkable transparency and a lovely bluish green color. It is set in a European hand-made platinum ring decorated with 377 fine quality near-colorless diamonds, weighing altogether 3.89 carats. Such a stone is a unique opportunity for the serious collector of gemological rarities and one which is unlikely to occur again. Weighing approximately 6.95 carats and measuring 12.95 x 12.04 x 5.84mm, size 6 1/2.
