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I have devoted an entire page to this crystal, and rightfully
so. It is difficult to comprehend the rarity of this specimen, and this is truly a "once in a lifetime" opportunity
for most collectors to purchase such a crystal. Magnesiotaaffeite-2N2S, more commonly known as taaffeite, is one of
the rarest gemstones in the world. Though it has been found in several locales, the most famous and most well formed
crystals come from Sri Lanka. Lavender is the most common color for taaffeites (I use the word "common" loosely,
as even a lavender taaffeite crystal is very rare). The rarest and most treasured color of taaffeite is red, and this
crystal is one of literally only a handful ever found in this red, garnet-like color, with such spectacular crystal form and
size. The crystal is almost 1 cm in size, and weighs almost 4 carats, and is complete all around (there is a polished
facet at the bottom for refractive index verification, which is typical for this species, and you can peer into the crystal
through this "window" in the pictures). But even more incredible is the crystal's gemminess. If
one desired, a gorgeous stone could be cut from this crystal (this would be a tragedy for such a crystal, but it could be
done nonetheless). This specimen is worthy of being in a museum collection of rare gem crystals. I don't believe
the Smithsonian or the American Museum of Natural History even have a red taaffeite crystal on display. The crystal's
value to the world of rare gemstones is somewhere soaring in the mineralogical stratosphere. This crystal could fetch
over $10,000 for its inherent gem value. If you have been searching for such a rare stone, the price of this specimen
is in my opinion quite reasonable, given its near infinite scarcity. (For more information on taaffeite, including pictures
of other red taaffeites and rare stones, I recommend visiting www.sinhalite.com. This may also help you to appreciate how unique this crystal truly is.)
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