SUGILITE ROUGH SLICE

SUGILITE ROUGH SLICE

A SUGILITE ROUGH SLICE, the rare and sought after purple and black mineral.  Used primarily for the making of strikingly beautiful jewellery.  Photos taken wet to show colour, as this is a rough unpolished piece.
Sugilite is a somewhat obscure mineral named for the Japanese geologist who discovered the first specimens in 1944, Ken-ichi Sugi. It is becoming very popular in the jewelry trade. It does not form well shaped crystals but is usually massive. This is OK, as it is used mostly for ornamental and semiprecious stone purposes. It has a very distinctive opaque purple color when found in its most desirable color shades. The polished stones are mostly opaque with an almost waxy luster and a deep reddish purple color. It has been described as a purple turquoise although there is no relation between the two minerals. Its jewelry uses are becoming widespread and sugilite is being used in jewelry styles with turquoise, malachite and coral. Some sugilite has been cut into gemstones, but these are very rare.

Location:
South Africa.

Dimensions:
5cm high x 7.8cm wide x 0.7cm deep, 72g.