Doos gets at least partial credit, it is corundum. Although natural.
I have several pieces of this low quality material, each exhibits some interesting growth features.
Being translucent they don't make very good photo subjects as some of these features are so faint they just don't show up in enough detail to be visually helpful in the images.
The quiz stone tested as corundum. 1.76 approx. spot reading.It showed two fluorescent chromium lines in the red around 690, as well as general absorption in the yellow and most of the green. It has a weak to moderate red reaction to LWUV, inert to SW.
As you can see it is reddish purple with purple being the more dominant in normal light.
As for the appearance in the first image....I was hoping someone here could explain. It appears to have distinct color banding in one direction as well as distinct color zoning running at an oriented angle to the banding.
Don't know if this occured simultaneously or if it represents an interruption in growth and then new growth in a different crystal orientation.
Anyone here want to venture an opinion?
I've searched the www trying to find any similar images without luck.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 4:25 pm Posts: 161 Location: Michigan, USA
There is a similar sapphire photo in the color plates of Matlin's Gem ID Made Easy. The caption say it's silk with needles intersecting at 60 degrees. Can't offer any more than that . . .
Dying could be a suspicion, but the broad patches of color are one directional. I have no reason to believe dye is involved. This stone is double cabbed both sides being rounded like a somewhat flattened jelly bean.
The pattern you see repeats itself on the flip side.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 4:25 pm Posts: 161 Location: Michigan, USA
OK, I saw in Photoatlas of Inclusions I in the Corundum section many photos and references discussing the zone effect in Burma and Sri Lanka stones. And the photos look similar there too. Does that sound plausible? But I don't think that explains the "banding", though I could look a little closer at the atlas if you think this is the right track.
Modo, it looks like a used Ricola cherry cough drop to me!
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