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INDIA |
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KARNATAKA
(MYSORE) PROVINCE |
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Around 1999, huge ruby crystals were beginning to appear at
the Tucson Gem and Mineral shows. Their origin was
somewhere in Karnataka, but because the Indian government
tends to take over profitable mines, the miners will not
reveal the precise locality. When asked where it came
from, he will likely answer: "From the ground!"
The names "Red Mountain", "Ratnapuri", and "Subramaniam" are
names I have heard at one time or another. |
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18 pounds |
Layering
and translucency |
Heads |
Tails |
See
"Humor" page |
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Budhipata (Budhipada) is another
locality that produces smaller ruby crystals in gneiss. Both
matrix specimens and loose doubly terminated crystals are highly
collectible. Note also the translucent modified prisms and
twins on the left - these are unusual. |
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Two huge specimens from the Subramaniam mines
in Karnataka Province, India were picked up (with some difficulty)
in Tucson in 2009 and 2010. The 118 pounder on the left has
embedded rubies up to 4" (10 cm.) across. Note the halo of blue
zoisite in the third image. The amphibolite specimen on the right
weighs about 165 pounds (note large garnet in upper left). |
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Since then,
additional large matrix specimens from Karnataka
have appeared, and for reasons that escape me I have
been hoarding them. Two specimens of
ruby in amphibolite appear on the left. On the
right is a 194-pound massive ruby with a vein of
green zoisite or fuchsite running through it.
Note the gemmy recrystallized ruby on its
surface (detail, far right). |
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The specimen on the left,
also from Karnataka, weighs over 90 pounds. It
is probably massive corundum in the center, with
recrystallization on the surface causing the mottled
appearance. On
the right are specimens of what may be hydrothermal
ruby in pale blue cordierite, from the Orissa Mines |
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TAMIL
NADU PROVINCE |
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On the left is
a purplish star ruby cabochon from Tamil Nadu
Province, India.
Next to it are some interesting terminations
of 8 pound crystal from the same locality. This
remarkable specimen may have survived because it was
too big for the cabbers' saws! (Also, this one does
not indicate asterism.)
On the right are some small
gem rubies from the province. |
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These are the first corundum
specimens from a new discovery in Tamil Nadu Province, India. Two views of the best
cluster of tabular crystals are on the left, and images of the two
strangest are shown on the right. In the last, note the aftergrowth of ruby on grey sapphire. |
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MISCELLANEOUS LOCALITIES |
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The pale tabular prism
and the greenish crystal
are of unknown Indian origin.
The ruby "spear point" is
from southern Madras. The
crystal on the right (two images) is from Hyderabad. |
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