• Color:  Medium Dark Brownish-Orange
• Clarity:  Eye Clean to Slightly Included
• Origin:  Minas Gerais, Brazil
• Cut:  Pear Mixed
• Treatments:  None
• Measurements:  11.7 x 5.1 mm

As a facet grade material, Triplite has always been extremely rare.  Despite this, there have been a surprising number of deposits where it has been found in miniscule quantities.  Even the famed Rutherford Mines in Amelia Co., Virignia are known to have produced a few of these.  Perhaps the best known stones are the bright orange gems that found their way out of Afghanistan in the last decade - here again, these remain quite rare.  Now we see that Brazil has entered the fray with a small find of facet grade rough.  Interestingly enough, non-gem Triplite has been found for quite some time and is even cabbed on occasion.  We have seen just a few faceted stones and this is, without question, the largest (by far!) and best of these.  The gem has a fine clarity and an attractive hue that is not unlike some traditional Spessartite.  A fine, larger example of this rare species from an equally rare locale for gem grade rough.

$400 / carat - $612 total