I thought this was a good topic to discuss. I have over the years been looking for stones for my collection and generally they have certain charactertistics: 1) They have to be affordable (even though typically the ones I want usually are NOT) 2) They are really hard to find (sometimes even in Tucson)
Examples are: 1) Flowering / Tube Onyx: One with a nice flower (I finally have found a bunch of these) 2) Purple topaz (again - finally found a bunch of these) 3) Purple Beryl (Again - finally found two... Stephen found one REALLY good one) 4) Sanarka Topaz with good pink/purple color
The last I wanted to find for my son. I have been looking for years. Even came up empty at Tucson in spite of intense looking. Finally found two, which I gave him for Christmas. No doubt he will post some photos.
Anyone else have some they have been looking for for years? With a lot of eyes we might be able to help...
This is a field with a lot of white whales to chase, which is always fun. Sanarka topaz (genuine imperial topaz from Russia) was one such until this Christmas I now have two, one bicolor pink/orange and one with an intense pink-purple color. Another was getting a sizeable crystal of the storied golden topaz from Schneckenstein, Germany, but I now have on of those too. I have a couple things still on the list. Sri Lanka apparently used to produce golden to pure yellow topaz, noted as being non-chromian but with a nice color. There is one in the GIA collection which looks lovely. I suspect these all get irradiated blue now. I found an old reference to imperial-style topaz being found in Turkey in the far past, but I suspect it was just mistaken. Riesling beryl was on this list, the alleged dichroic green/yellow material said to have been found in Germany. I am kind of skeptical now though--I think some of the past skeptics are likely right, that the German material never existed and was only invented to try and sell Brazilian stones (and probably just normal greenish heliodor, a stone I love but which isn't that special).
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:29 pm Posts: 1047 Location: Paris
I have been looking for a long time for an overblue diamond - the ultra fluorescent type which turns milky blue in sunlight and which is supposed to be wanted by nobody. Well, it is much more difficult to find than a non fluorescent stone.
We have amber in germany, Hauyne and several other gems from Eifel district ( Sanidin, Titanite, Peridot etc.), Schneckenstein Topaze, Boracite, Zircon from Saxonia but gemmy beryl....never heard of.
I have been looking for a long time for an overblue diamond - the ultra fluorescent type which turns milky blue in sunlight and which is supposed to be wanted by nobody. Well, it is much more difficult to find than a non fluorescent stone.
On my list too!
This little fancy vivid green yellow has a strong blue fluor and becomes a bit milky in sunlight or LED too with textmarker neon color.
Think a colorless overblue diamond is pretty cool...
I will ask some diamond dealer in Inhorgenta this year. If I find one I will tell you..
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Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:29 pm Posts: 1047 Location: Paris
I bought a nice iris agate a few years ago on ebay. I think it was from some place in the US. It is pretty but not half as spectacular as the one you show. And it requires a certain lighting and angle of viewing to "work" and show its rainbow colors.
Edit : I remember now, the place of origin was called Horse Mountain.
Last edited by Isi on Sat Jan 12, 2019 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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