BEN01- Benitoite
Benitoite Mine, San Benito Co., California, UnitedStates
5.8x 4.0x 2.7 cm


As you all know, the benitoite mine is now closed and its gem bearing areas have been completely exhausted.  Over the last few years, a fair amount of "mine run" specimens have reached the market--consisting mainly of highly included xtls, often etched and lacking the depth of color present in their predecessors.  If you have handled both the "new" pieces and the old, then you know what I am talking about.

This specimen is "old", having been mined about 15 years ago and kept ever since by the ex-mine owner, William Forrest.  Even by the standards of the older specimens, this one is exceptionally rich, boasting numerous double terminated benitoites to 1.6, and two (2) TRIPLE TERMINATED xtls, the larger being 1.15 cm.  A couple of the double terms could probably be converted to triple terms with careful etching--but this specimens spectacular as is and I myself will leave it alone.