Detailed information
Dimensions
32 x 28 x 34
mm
Weight
32 g
Locality
Ratnapura District Sabaragamuwa Province Sri Lanka
Condition
No recorded repairs
The Ratnapura District lies at the centre of the Sri Lankan gem mining region, in the southwest of the country. This rather magnificent miniature is a semi-intact, single crystal of plum purple Spinel from Ratnapura. Forming an octagonal crystal, the majority of one half is almost complete whereas the lower four faces are pretty much naturally etched away. The longest edge measures 2.9 cm. The colour is a beautiful, rich deep plum with a metallic, bright reflective lustre. The crystal faces are glossy and smooth yet feature various growth structures such as nested aligned equilateral triangles and softer, circular and sinuous micro depressions. Although it’s incomplete, it’s a terrific Spinel.
