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A big surprise at the Denver 2009 show was the release of specimens from this small find (rumoured to have been only a few kilos of material in total) of GEMMY phenakite with internal brilliance and external mirror-like lustre, combined with complex patterning the like of which is novel for the species. Despite decades of mining gem rough from the Jos Plateau, nothing like this has been seen. They look for all the world like colorless spessartine garnets (but with better internal flash). This material first turned up in Thailand, in early August, where half the parcel had been sent for cutting; and a travelling US Mineral and Gem dealer recognized its value as speicmens when by chance they crossed paths. He highgraded the first 4 pieces in this update from that lot (at per-carat prices): the others then, sadly, went to the cutters. It turns out that two men found the material and split it: One took the easy way out and sent his all for cutting in Bangkok; while the other took his half to the Denver show to sell as cutting rough. From that second half of the find, I then secured the material with good crystal form so that this update comprises a very large portion of the recovered crystals.
NOTE: THESE ARE MUCH MORE GEMMY AND CLEAN IN PERSON, THAN PHOTOS MAKE THEM APPEAR !
PHEN09-01 - Phenakite - $ 2500 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria miniature, 4.4 x 2.9 x 2.3 cm
At 40 grams, this is one of the larger specimens recovered.It is a floater, complete all around and pristine save one small ding on a side face (hard to see). It was the best specimen overall in the lot which showed up in Denver of 2009 (several kilos in total, representing about half the total find which was divided to send to Thailand for cutting; and to the show as well) . This crystal has a very 3-dimensional structure to it, and is more well-crystallized than most others here. It looks for all the world like a completely colorless spessartine garnet from Brazil, with those complex striations and patterning prominent around the whole specimen. In person, this glows with brilliant light bouncing in and out of the crystal off all the myriad of faces. It is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that is startling in its utter lack of any impurity which adds some coloration to most minerals.
PHEN09-02 - Phenakite - $ 3250 Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria miniature, 3.7 x 3.1 x 2.5 cm
At 39 grams, this is one of the larger specimens recovered. It is a floater, complete all around and pristine save one small ding on a bottom face (hard to see). It was the best overall specimen in the small lot of this material which showed up in Thailand at the cutting factories, in August of 2009 (several kilos in total, representing about half the find). Bill Larson, a gem and mineral dealer, who was there at the time on gem business and was shown the material, immediately realized their specimen value and was able to save half a dozen good pieces from the cutter. This crystal has a very 3-dimensional structure to it, and is more well-crystallized than any other here. It has real faces, and a very unusual rounded termination more like that of a heliodor (but with garnet surface patterning), than of any phenakite i have ever seen. It is a bizarre specimen, that is really quite unique from other gem crystals in its overall form and aspect, and STUNNING in person. It looks for all the world like a completely colorless spessartine garnet at first glance, with those complex striations and patterning prominent around the whole specimen. in person, this glows with brilliant light bouncing in and out of the crystal off all the myriad facets of the faces. It is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that is startling in its utter lack of any impurity which adds some coloration to most minerals.
PHEN09-03 - Phenakite - $ 600 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria thumbnail, 2.0 x 1.9 x 1.5 cm
In person this is a total GEM! It looks for all the world like a garnet at first glance and like no phenakite I have seen before, with typical surface complexity. But it is, instead, one of these new phenakites and to my eye one of the more equant, well-crystallized, and gemmy of the lot - a superb thumbnail crystal. It is a floater, complete all around. It is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity).
PHEN09-04 - Phenakite - $ 2250 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria miniature, 4.0 x 2.1 x 1.7 cm
At 24 grams, this elongated crystal is one of the finer-crystallized specimens recovered. It is a floater, complete all around and pristine! It was one of teh cherrypicked , complete crystals among a few kilos of this material which showed up in Thailand at the cutting factories, in August of 2009 (several kilos in total, representing about half the find). Bill Larson, a gem and mineral dealer, who was there at the time on gem business and was shown the material, immediately realized their specimen value and was able to save half a dozen good pieces from the cutter. This crystal has a very 3-dimensional structure to it, and is more well-crystallized than any almost other I have seen in terms of having a recognizable c-axis and vertical orientation. It has real faces, and a very unusual rounded termination more like that of a heliodor (but with garnet surface patterning), than of any phenakite i have ever seen. It is a bizarre specimen, that is really quite unique from other gem crystals in its overall form and aspect, and STUNNING in person. It looks for all the world like a completely colorless spessartine garnet at first glance, with those complex striations and patterning prominent around the whole specimen. in person, this glows with brilliant light bouncing in and out of the crystal off all the myriad facets of the faces. It is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that is startling in its utter lack of any impurity which adds some coloration to most minerals.
PHEN09-05 - Phenakite - $ 250 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria thumbnail, 2.1 x 1.7 x 1.4 cm
In person this is a total GEM! It looks for all the world like a garnet at first glance and like no phenakite I have seen before, with typical surface complexity. But it is, instead, one of these new phenakites - a superb thumbnail crystal. It is a floater, complete all around though it encloses a small bit of brown matrix inside (maybe cleanable). The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity).
PHEN09-06 - Phenakite - $ 1750 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria miniature, 4.7 x 3.7 x 2.4 cm
A 50-gram specimen that is among the largest saved from cutting, this is a total GEM in person! It looks for all the world like a garnet at first glance and like no phenakite I have seen before, with typical surface complexity. But it is, instead, one of these new phenakites - a superb miniature-sized crystal. It is a floater, complete all around except for a few very minor and hard to see dings. The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity).
PHEN09-07 - Phenakite - $ 950 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria thumbnail, 2.9 x 2.3 x 2.3 cm
In person this 22-gram floater is a total GEM! It looks for all the world like a garnet at first glance and like no phenakite I have seen before, with typical surface complexity. But it is, instead, one of these new phenakites - a superb large "boxbuster" thumbnail crystal. It is a floater, complete all around. The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity).
PHEN09-08 - Phenakite - $ 2150 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria miniature, 3.1 x 2.9 x 2.6 cm
In person this 32-gram floater is a total GEM! It is fat and gorgeous and exceptionally gemmy! It looks for all the world like a garnet at first glance and like no phenakite I have seen before, with typical surface complexity. But it is, instead, one of these new phenakites - a superb small miniature sized crystal. It is a floater, complete all around. The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity).
PHEN09-09 - Phenakite - $ 1200 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria thumbnail, 2.9 x 2.2 x 2.1 cm
RAZOR-SHARP crystallography makes this one stand out. In person this 14-gram floater is a total GEM! Even amongst this lot, it is exceptionally gemmy! IT GLOWS with sparkle, internal and external. The piece has more robust crystal faces than most others in the lot, as well. It looks for all the world like a garnet at first glance and like no phenakite I have seen before, with typical surface complexity. But it is, instead, one of these new phenakites - a superb , competition-grade thumbnail crystal. It is a floater, complete all around. The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity).
PHEN09-10 - Phenakite - $ 800 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria miniature, 4.1 x 3.0 x 2.6 cm
A 48-gram specimen that is among the largest half dozen or so crystals saved from cutting, this is a total GEM in person! It looks for all the world like a garnet at first glance and like no phenakite I have seen before, with typical surface complexity. But it is, instead, one of these new phenakites - a superb miniature-sized crystal. It is a floater, complete all around except for a small conchoidal fracture off the back of one termination (or the price would be double - but still, this is hard to spot!). The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity). MUCH BETTER IN PERSON
PHEN09-11 - Phenakite - $ 600 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria thumbnail, 2.4 x 2.0 x 1.9 cm
An unusual 18-gram specimen that has an oddly columnar form to it, this is a total GEM in person! It looks for all the world like a garnet at first glance and like no phenakite I have seen before, with typical surface complexity. But it is, instead, one of these new phenakites - a superb miniature-sized crystal. It is a floater, complete all around. The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity). MUCH BETTER IN PERSON
PHEN09-12 - Phenakite - $ 150 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria thumbnail, 2.8 x 1.5 x 1.4 cm
A SHARP and exceedingly gemmy crystal, showing the lustrous, brilliant faces of this find. Killer presentation on the front display face, though cleaved conchoidally in the back. The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity). MUCH BETTER IN PERSON
PHEN09-13 - Phenakite - $ 350 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria thumbnail, 2.6 x 1.7 x 1.4 cm
A 30-gram specimen that is among the few crystals saved from cutting with such elongate crystal form, and a normal looking termination atop, this is a total GEM in person! Sadly, there is a thumbn-print-sized conchoidal cleave out of the back of the termination, but nonetheless it looks great from the front and so is now a reduced price, as well. The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity). MUCH BETTER IN PERSON
PHEN09-15 - Phenakite - $ 1200 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria miniature, 3.0 x 2.4 x 1.9 cm
A SHARP and exceedingly gemmy 20-gram crystal, showing the lustrous, brilliant faces of this find. Killer presentation on the front display face, and it is a floater all around, as well. The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity). MUCH BETTER IN PERSON
PHEN09-16 - Phenakite - $ 1500 SOLD Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria miniature, 4.4 x 3.6 x 3.1 cm
A HUGE 60-gram specimen of cutting grade phenakite, that is among the largest saved from cutting, this is a total GEM in person! It looks for all the world like a garnet at first glance and like no phenakite I have seen before, with typical surface complexity. But it is, instead, one of these new phenakites - a superb miniature-sized crystal. It is a floater, complete all around except for a few small conchoidal dings ( but still, this is hard to spot!). The crystal itself is absolutely colorless, a pure colorlessness that adds to the gemminess of the specimen in person (and makes it extremely hard to photograph because light refracts off all the hundreds of facets and faces here, bouncing back and forth through the crystal and making the camera unable to capture its true clarity). MUCH BETTER IN PERSON
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