Gem: Chrome Kornerupine
Weight: 0.74 ct.
Dimensions: 6.55 x 4.95 x 2.2 mm thickness
Clarity: Loupe Clean - unheard of for this gem type - one in a million
Origin: Umba Valley, Tanzania
Treatments: None
Faceted By: Scott Maier
Original Gem Design by: Scott Maier
Comments:
This chrome kornerupine is the best of the best, full stop. It is unique and performs fantastically! The dominant color is teal, as you can see from the brilliant, multi-hue facets around the edges. All around the edge you can see teal, blue-green, and pure green in various combinations, with just a dash of black that adds contrast for depth and pop.
The table of the gem looks down the purple axis! although it's faint, in person, you can clearly see a dusty light purple color through the table. Depending on the surrounding ambient light conditions, it will appear light purple at times, and very light purple to gray green in other light.
In the center, there is a hand carved sphere! It's commonly called bubble cut, and I love to do it on small-ish, double-table gems when they come along. This one is centered perfectly, and I do mean perfectly. It catches light very well, at certain angles, and gives brilliance to the center of a flat gemstone! The sphere itself is a soft polish / matte finish for a dash of texture and warmth. Plus, it helps it to diffuse light, and gives the rest of the stone a subtle glow. You can catch a little bit of the sphere reflected in the long facets sometimes for added 3-D effect.
This medium sized gemstone would make for an absolutely IDEAL hefty-ish signet style ring. With its low profile, this gem can sit super low to the hand, and offer that extra protection of being out of the way of everyday wear and tear. Kornerupine IS hard enough for rings, but it is still beneficial to keep it low to the hand. This one can sit comfortably in a basically flat design.
For the rare gem collector out there, this is the one!