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GALLERY
- EUROPE
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Germany,
Italy,
Switzerland: |
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Here are three old
specimens. Rubies
of volcanic origin are rare, but the one to the left was
apparently brought to the surface by the 1794 eruption of
Mount Vesuvius (Italy).
The ruby on the right is from
Campolungo, Switzerland. The brown sapphire
is from Freiburg, Germany. |
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Norway:
Shown below (L to R) are
a small greenish corundum from Traena, a multicolored crystal from
Telemark,
and three specimens from the Klegaassen Pegmatites, Arendal (Frohland). |
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| Macedonia:
The Sivec Mine near
Prilep is a source of translucent pink to
peach colored corundum, most of which apparently goes to the
artisans of Idar Oberstein. Pictured below (L to R) are some crystals and clusters, a unique piece with
attached mineral (talcite?), and the largest crystal found at the
mine (9,984 carats; purchased from the retired mine manager who
had found it in the wall of the main shaft). |
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Russia:
Classic localities, and an interesting recent discovery
are represented in the collection. |
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The northern island of
Chit-Ostrov produces
interesting ruby crystals in Gneiss. The violet
terminated crystal on the right is unusual. |
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| The Ilmen Mountains
are the source of large, medium to dark blue sapphire
crystals, Some are extremely layered, creating
corundum "roses". |
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On the left are two more
Ilmen Mountain crystals. The large grey green
corundum (right) is from
the vicinity of Minsk, Russia, and was
probably found during the nineteenth century. It's a
doubly terminated single crystal of flattened hexagonal cross-section (ex
coll. Andrew |
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| Toussaint). Rubies
(bottom right) from a recent discovery in the
Polar
Urals (northernmost extremity of the Urals mountain chain) have a micaceous
cleavage and luster. Mineral specimens are nice, but
facetable stones are rare. |
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