faceted Moonstone from Mörchnerkar / Austria



The most transparent Moonstone of the World!


This unique material originates from a single find at Mörcherkar high up in the Zillertal , a valley within the beautiful Austrian Alps. The moonstone that grew there is absolutely unique and you will not find a similar material elsewhere on the planet.


All of us Rockhounds were looking for a similar occurrence in this gem - rich area for many years now. Without yield. It is quite possible that this will stay a single find. Serious collectors know about the long term chances of a possibility like this.

The difference to other Adularia Moonstones you may have seen so far this stone is completely transparent and clean. Therefore it is not cut en cabochon as the rest of the moonstones but was faceted by a master´s hand.



Due to the perfect cleavage of Adularia every single cut and polished gem is a masterpiece.



A look into the books will show you the uniqueness of the gem: The material is so rare, that it is not yet shown in most of the gemmological or mineralogical literature. You will even hardly find it in the collections of gemmologists.



You see the speciality of the Zillertal Moonstone when you look at it. Depending on the angle of observation, the gem either is completely transparent (Like Iceland Feldspar) and clean or shows the typical white “sheen”.



This unique gem is seldomly sold in the market. If it is available, huge stones over 25 Carats each are offered for high prices no normal collector is able to pay.
The most beautiful and spectacular piece known is displayed at www.edelsteine.at. in the category "Moonstones / White)



Due to their rarity an their fantastic optical properties, all Zillertal Moonstones are of investment grade. I guess the overall weight of the find about 100 Kilograms in the rough, while only about 10 % of it is of the quality that was of perfect appearance.

The Gem you see here is a 4,47 Carat piece once in an angle where it is clean and transparent and once while the magic milk of the sheen flashes through the Table.

I do have some more pieces for interested collectors around the planet.



[/img]<img src="http://i14.ebayimg.com/04/i/05/6c/51/d5_1_sbl.JPG" alt="MoZill8 (6)">
[img]

[/img]<img src="http://i16.ebayimg.com/02/i/05/6c/7f/f1_1_sbl.JPG" alt="MoZill8 (1)">

I try it again...

[img]<img src="http://i16.ebayimg.com/02/i/05/6c/7f/f1_1_sbl.JPG" alt="MoZill8 (1)">[img]
[/img]<img src="http://i16.ebayimg.com/02/i/05/6c/7f/f1_1_sbl.JPG" alt="MoZill8 (1)">[img]

If this doesn´t work, COULD ANYBODY HELP A ROOKIE WITH THIS???[/img]

The Pic´s aare on an Ebay Picture server. How do i MAKE THEM APPEAR HERE ?

I will now take a cup of Valeriana officinalis tea, lean back and wait for help ....

Thanks

Nikolaus

Maybe like this?

http://i16.ebayimg.com/02/i/05/6c/7f/f1_1_sbl.JPG

http://i14.ebayimg.com/04/i/05/6c/51/d5_1_sbl.JPG"

Incredible. Very vice. Thanks fot the pics.

Wow, it really does look like moonlight! Lovely. Thank you.

Nikolaus, are you offering this piece for sale? If so, would potentially be interested if the price is not astronomical. Please send a PM.

I have several pieces of moonstone that are almost as clear, with a blue sheen. Mine are Sri Lankan, and so the blue sheen is fairly typical, although they are extremely clean and transparent. However, interesting as mine are, not quite in the same league as that stone, primarily due to the size, as mine are sub 2cts.

DELETED

In difference to the Sri Lankan Material, which I see regularily on my bying trips to this beautiful Island, these moonstones are free of silk and void of any inclusions. The only commonly observable things are cleavage plains

The biggest piece (The link is in the post above although the site is in german only) still available shows another interesting and unique optical phenomenon: the sheen is divided by a sharp line. The gem is clear and transparent above the line, and the game is exactly the other way round when you view it from a different angle. The phenomenon is not yet explained completely by gemmologists (Although they study the few existing pieces since years)
Fact is: it has something to do with different growth patterns of the lammelae on a nearly molecular level.

Prices of the material:

As always the big stones are really high priced. the Big stone with the sharp sheen line weighs 25,48 cts á EUR 240,00 in a mixed Fancy and Cabochon cut. (27,2x19,6 mm) EUR 6.115,20

Nothing for me, but a true museum piece ...

My collection of stones (They are available on request) reaches from 0,5 Cts Pieces to the 4,47 Cts Stone mentioned above, while only a few of them show slight cleavage plains or dots (Cutting powder inside rifts)
and none of them has the sheen dividing line.

Carat prices range from 15 to 35 Euros depending on size and perfection of cuts.

I will try to gain more info´s on the phenomenon and put it into the forum for everybody.


Nikolaus

Completly transparent moonstones are not that rare...
I dont want to be bad, but you should be careful when you use such terms as "the rarest moonstone in the world" or "the most transparent"... I spend 3 years buying completly transparent moonstones in Burma. They are not easy to get but If you know where to get them you can get some really excellent pieces.
Currently the best place to get a water like colorless moonstone with a strong sky blue sheen is in from Mogok in Burma to my knowledge. Excellent quality moonstones were mined from Dumbara near Kandy and from Metiyagoda near Galle. But now it is difficult to get there gems of a quality approaching the best burmese, the best material was mined years ago and now most of the stones are milky. Now many moonstones in the market are coming from India, Tanzania and also Namibia. Currently I dont have seen from these areas anything that can match the transparency of the best Burmese gems.
Here are some examples of Burmese moonstones, but the photos could be much better:

http://www.gemwow.com/photos/003/p00891 ... t,%20Burma

http://www.gemwow.com/photos/007/p01962 ... 20(Myanmar)

Anyway your piece looks very nice,

All the best,

Hey Vincent, you´re right ...

The terms I used in the description may sound a bit overdone but you have to realize that this was a text I used for an Ebay auction before. There you have to add a few sentences like like this...

Mogok blue sheen moonstones: Are there really competely transparent ones usable for faceting there? If yes, what is the price of the rough?

Namibia: I just traded 2,5 Kilos of fine blue Namibian Moonstones. Extremely beautiful blue sheen, but no big deal in transparency.

Nikolaus

I know that Scott at American-Thai Trading facets moonstone from Mogok with lovely results. He might have some thoughts on this subject... See link below...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Clean-Well-Cut-and-Blue-Faceted-Moonstone-Oval-3-25Cts_W0QQitemZ5061061074QQcategoryZ10237QQcmdZViewItem

This has been an informative thread; I didn't realize moonstone could be so transparent. Thanks to all who posted photo links .

Gorgeous moonstones
Unfortunately I have a habit of buying included stones. I have a parcel of 4mm of very eye clean, clear blue sheen moonstone, which on closer observation, are riddled with centipedes/chinese writing. mmmmmm. Still trying to photograph.
Meg

Hi Nikolaus,
I'm sorry thats really not an excuse... Its not because it is the text you used on Ebay that I will suddently feel "Oh Ok, so that was just some Ebay Bull...., Then that's OK"

Please dont say that! I think that you can sell a gem without to have to damage your reputation misleading about the stone. Ebay has a bad reputation as some people used to many of the :
"wonderful, beautiful awasome 10 carats top AAAAA Pigeon blood ruby from Burma. Exceptional unbelievable price: $10"
Sure its unbelievable... The thing is that the company that used to do that from Thailand has cheated so many people that it has turned now to an other business, now they cheat people on TV channels... So dont follow them or be sure that soon you will have so many people telling that your stones are not what they are told to be that you will be out of business despite the fact that may be you have become more honnest.

You looks to have knowledge about gems, you can then do better to describe the gems you sell than using such misleading vocabulary.

As a gemologist I cannot accept misleading descriptions: Its against any ethics...
My burmese gemology teachers were repeating me: "Trust and reputation in gem business is like virginity: You have it truly only once..." Please understand that.

All the best,