Pezzottaite

[Marlow]

Pezzottaite is a mineral from the beryl group - so is it related but not a beryl.

Came like a comet in gemworld aroud 2003 - first they believed it is a variety of beryl. Hardness 7,5-8 - RI around 1,62 and a strong dichroism (purplish pink - orange pink). Unfortunately only one location in Madagascar ( now exhausted) and often very included.

So faceted eyeclean - SI faceted gems are extremly rare. Many are cabochon course the tube inclusion produce a beautyful cat eye
(difficult to seperate from tourmaline cat eyes with a similar color - the dichroism is stronger)

I was very happy to find these clean and lovely colored gems in Munichshow last year - Denis Gravier is specialized in extremely fine collectorgems. They are 0,45 and 0,23 ct - price per ct was 450 EUR - around $ 600 but worth every cent!

The cabochon is 3,18ct - a cateye with a super clarity - potential for faceting but I would loose a lot of weight.
Hope you like them!

 

[dk168]

Love the colour of the cabochon, thanks for sharing!

DK

 

[Acinom]

What a special colour . Thanks for sharing your gorgeous stones.
I love love love that cab, just the way it is. I would not recut it. Lot's of beautiful possibilities with a cab...

 

[LD]

I love Pezzottaite. I've got a 4ct ring and somewhere a 6ct one! Both are clarity challenged but are very pretty. Years ago, the unscrupulous sellers were trying to pass it off as Bixbite and it can look similar. Mind you, as you struggle to buy Pezz now, it's probably going to be tipping the rarity scales alongside Bixbite!

 

[makeable]

What a pretty color. I love the cab the way it is, especially being a catseye.

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks for the sharing!

 

[Marlow]

Thank you all - I will not recut the cab - it is aperfect round 9mm and looks like a candy - would be a shame!!
The cateye is only weak but clarity is fine!!

LD - yes - I saw them 2003 the first time and was shocked about the price the mostly french vendors wanted.
I bought the cab around 2009 - the prices were much lower - this was 50 EUR pct and I got it for 120 EUR!!!
The small ones are a extremely rare combination of clarity and color ( good clarity they are pale and good color they are LI- HI).

There was confusion in the first time - new "red" beryl, caesium beryl or new mineral??? But never a color like red beryl.

Now you get no more in Munichshow - maybe St. Marie course there are the french dealer.

 

[T L]

I love that cab, reminds me of rhodochrosite. Thanks for sharing more of your lovely gems.

 

[LD]

Thank you all - I will not recut the cab - it is aperfect round 9mm and looks like a candy - would be a shame!!
The cateye is only weak but clarity is fine!!

LD - yes - I saw them 2003 the first time and was shocked about the price the mostly french vendors wanted.
I bought the cab around 2009 - the prices were much lower - this was 50 EUR pct and I got it for 120 EUR!!!
The small ones are a extremely rare combination of clarity and color ( good clarity they are pale and good color they are LI- HI).

There was confusion in the first time - new "red" beryl, caesium beryl or new mineral??? But never a color like red beryl.

Now you get no more in Munichshow - maybe St. Marie course there are the french dealer.

Now that you mention it, I think I bought mine around 2003 (perhaps a bit earlier). There were some UK dealers who had some (and quite big pieces) for about a year and then it seemed to dry up. You've got some gorgeous specimens and I covet the cab (although the other two are exceptionally rare). Great gemstones!

 

[Marlow]

They discovered it November 2002.

http://www.gia.edu/cs/BlobServer?blobkey=id&blobwhere=1355958206369&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername3=Content-Type&blobheadername2=MDT-Type&blobheadervalue3=application%2Funknown&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobheadervalue2=abinary%3B+charset%3DUTF-8&blobheadervalue1=attachment%3B+filename%3DPezzottaite-from-Ambatovita%2C-Madagascar%3A-A-New-Gem-Mineral&blobcol=gfile&blobtable=GIA_DocumentFile

Please have a look at Figure 20 - how close tourmaline and pezzottaite cat eyes could be!!

Hope to see pictures of your pezzos, LD!!

TL - much harder then rhodochrosite!! Would be or is a nice ring stone.

 

[T L]

TL - much harder then rhodochrosite!! Would be or is a nice ring stone.

Yes, it's harder. Gem quality rhodochrosite is absolutely gorgeous, but that's its fatal flaw, too soft.

 

[LoversKites]

Beautiful trio Marlow! Man, I love that cab...

 

[Marlow]

I should offer the cab on LT....

 

[SparkliesLuver]

I should offer the cab on LT....

Not going to say I disagree ...

 

[chrono]

I'm first in line for that gorgeous gum drop cabochon!