J08-09
Lazurite
Sar-E-Sang, Kokscha Valley, Badakshan Province, Afghanistan
Small Cabinet, 6.5 x 5.0 x 4.0 cm
SOLD
Lazurite, also know as lapis lazuli, is often used in jewelry and carving in its massive form. But it is rarely found in sharp, well-formed crystals; when the uncommon crystals are found, they tend to be rather lumpy looking, with perhaps a few good faces and a partly "melted" look. This 2.5-cm crystal, however, is sharp with good faces all the way around. It is well exposed sitting atop the laboriously prepped matrix of stark white contrasting marble, you can see nearly the entire crystal. The crystal was chipped out by physical means, so there are some chisel lines in the marble tha tneed to be removed - it would cost me over $100 to do so, so I thought i'd give it a chance to be taken at the lower price first, since its not a big deal in context to remove those and i'd rather try to give a bargain than add to the cost basis. Classic of fine form and quality for the locality!