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THE  CORUNDUMINIUM

 

 

 
     
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LONGIDOPage under construction.

  
  HISTORICAL  REMARKS:   
      One cannot say with certainty who first discovered the now famous "ruby in zoisite" or "anyolite" material originating form this locality, but here is a website reference to an article written by John Saul (a geologist who spent much of his life in Africa) which is worth reading:    http://www.swalagemtraders.com/news/2008/02/06/7-the-first-gemstone-discovered-in-east-africa?PHPSESSID=.   
 

      This material is fairly common, and most specimens are not particularly aesthetic (other than for their striking color contrast).   The material is most consumed for the interesting carvings or cabochons artisans can extract  from the association.  The specimens below are all in our collection. 

 
       
     Prince "Stash" Sapieha gave two specimens to John Saul.  They appear on the left.  The specimen on the right is a polished freeform purchased by John in a Paris rock shop.  It contains a unique brecciated spinel inclusion with feldspar and possibly other minerals which we are are  trying to identify.   It was the cover subject of the Abstract of the Arusha Gemmological Conference co-hosted by John and his son Mark. 

 
      
    The specimens to the right are a  typical of the material currently coming out of the mine (note the hex outline), a very unusual cluster and a large fist-sized, gemmy ruby with zoisite and tschermakite.