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large gem crystals from the Erongo Mountains, Namibia
Jeremejevite has always been a rare species, found in just a few instances as large, beautiful crystals. Until recent finds in the Erongo District, there were only a very few known specimens of quality. Now, for something completely different! This new pocket , found in late 2010, produced floater, complete gem crystals of jeremejevite showing extremely high glassy lustre and good, rich color. These crystals are glassy and reflect brightly from many micro-faces. The intense blue color here is characteristic of the best of the older finds at Swakopmund, and much deeper than the color of other Erongo material in the recent past. The crystal morphology here is unique , and has not been seen before in Jeremejevite - especially in crystals of such size. Some of these crystals were associated with, and embedded in, a weird matrix of small acicular crystals of tourmaline (itself possibly a new tourmaline group species). They make for interesting specimens but to my eye, suck some of the beauty and color from the gemmy jeremejevites within and so i specifically chased down the best of the loose freestanding crystals. All of these seem to have come from a single pocket, so far as I know (with the exception of one older piece put into this update for contrast). Some people at the Tucson show were theorizing that these crystals formed inside hollowed out tourmaline casts, and thus may be a type of cast pseudomorph in that they were filling in voids
This rather fat crystal is included by minute crystals of what seems to be a new tourmaline group species.
This crystal has a large amount of facet rough value within large gem portions, probably more than the specimen cost itself.
A floater, complete gem crystal of jeremejevite showing extremely high glassy lustre and good, rich color. These crystals are glassy and reflect brightly from many micro-faces. The intense blue color here is characteristic of the older finds at Swakopmund, though those were of a different crystal morphology.
This is an example from older finds in the Erongo district, showing a more classic crystal morphology and typical gradient of color from clear at the tip to a blue base. When these first came out in a trickle, in about 2000-2002, they caused great excitement in the market and it wsa the first time most collectors could even think of owning a nice example of this species. This piece would have been , easily $5000 at the time. Today however, they are admittedly more common as other pockets have been hit, although crystals of this large size are still uncommon and this is a significant crystal that should be highly valued as a rarity. The new find/pocket, the others presented here, are so obviously and totally different from anything found before.
A floater, complete gem crystal of jeremejevite showing extremely high glassy lustre and good, rich color. These crystals are glassy and reflect brightly from many micro-faces. The intense blue color here is characteristic of the older finds at Swakopmund, though those were of a different crystal morphology.
A floater, complete gem crystal of jeremejevite showing extremely high glassy lustre and good, rich color. These crystals are glassy and reflect brightly from many micro-faces. The intense blue color here is characteristic of the older finds at Swakopmund, though those were of a different crystal morphology.
A floater, complete gem crystal of jeremejevite showing extremely high glassy lustre and good, rich color. These crystals are glassy and reflect brightly from many micro-faces. The intense blue color here is characteristic of the older finds at Swakopmund, though those were of a different crystal morphology.
Particularly intensely-colored blue gem crystal, floater and doubly-terminated, with a minor association of what is probably a new tourmaline group species. Superb example of this new pocket.. This crystal has a lot of intrinsic gem rough value in transparent cutting zones.
Superb gem crystal, floater and doubly-terminated, with association of what is probably a new tourmaline group species
This is the largest complete, floater, gem single crystal that we were able to obtain that wasn't either repaired or embedded in matrix. It also is among the largest fine gem jeremejevites of record, so far as I know. It is a stunning, large crystal with intense color throughout, and a superb glassy lustre. For the species, this has to be one of the largest known examples of quality - few from the original finds in Swakop were this size, and few of the new Erongo crystals reach this mass, as well. Small dark flecks are a possibly new species of the tourmaline group, in association.
Very gemmy and very intensely blue!
This crystal has a large amount of gem rough value and is much more transparent in person. Additionally it is festooned with small crystals of what seems to be a new species of the tourmaline group, according to preliminary analysis passed on to me.
A floater, complete gem crystal of jeremejevite showing extremely high glassy lustre and good, rich color. These crystals are glassy and reflect brightly from many micro-faces. The intense blue color here is characteristic of the older finds at Swakopmund, though those were of a different crystal morphology.
A floater, complete gem crystal of jeremejevite showing extremely high glassy lustre and good, rich color. These crystals are glassy and reflect brightly from many micro-faces. The intense blue color here is characteristic of the older finds at Swakopmund, though those were of a different crystal morphology. This crystal has a lot of intrinsic gem rough value in transparent cutting zones.
A floater, complete gem crystal of jeremejevite showing extremely high glassy lustre and good, rich color. These crystals are glassy and reflect brightly from many micro-faces. The intense blue color here is characteristic of the older finds at Swakopmund, though those were of a different crystal morphology.
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