Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:00 pm Posts: 391 Location: Dolan Springs, Arizona
I have a small parcel of Russian Edenite crystals which are decent sized and facet grade. The RI and hardness stats on this material look good, but I have never seen a cut stone. Has anyone else run across this material ?
Edenite is an amphibole, one of the (many) end-members of hornblende. Not too many amphiboles form facet-grade crystals, though of course nephrite is a well-known gem species. Tremolite and richterite/winchite are two other examples which come in facet grades. I don't know how difficult tremolite is to facet but richterite is difficult according to a G&G article. My guess is that edenite would be more like tremolite than richterite, so it's probably not too terrible to cut.
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:00 pm Posts: 391 Location: Dolan Springs, Arizona
My Edenite rough is clear, maybe slightly green on white paper. I have some tremolite crystals that will cut some nice green stones, so I may try those first. What color is richterite?
My Edenite rough is clear, maybe slightly green on white paper. I have some tremolite crystals that will cut some nice green stones, so I may try those first. What color is richterite?
Tremolite from Merelani?
Would be nice if you show a cut stone ( tremolite and edenite) here ( GO marketplace too )
Facet-grade richterite is pale yellow. Pretty stuff, and interesting as a curiosity. I got an awesome deal on a small parcel of crystals--the coolest thing to me is that you can look inside the crystal and see the perfect 60-120 cleavage which is the trademark of the amphibole group.
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