Size/Shape

Cutting

Proportions

Color

Clarity

Origin

Treatment

Weight

9.3 x 8.7mm Oval

Portuguese-Cutting, Good Shape and Pattern

4.3mm, Slightly Shallow Proportions, Slightly Windowed

Attractive Deep Red-Orange

Nearly Eye-Clean, V. Slightly Included

Shigar Valley, Northern Areas, Pakistan

Not Treated - 100% Natural

2.63 Carats

The Shigar Valley runs between the towns of Skardu, to the SE, and Gilgit, to the NW, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan.  Deposits in this valley are well known to collectors of rare minerals.  It is a very mountainous region, and great effort and risk are taken to mine and gather mineral specimens and gem rough in the Shigar Valley.

Among the more sought after rare minerals found in the Shigar Valley is Triplite.  Triplite is a phosphate of Manganese and Iron, with a chemical formula of (Mn²⁺,Fe²⁺⁾₄₂(OH,F)PO_4.  The hardness is 5, but the stone is quite brittle.  The name Triplite comes from the Greek 'triplos', referring to the three directions of cleavage.

Faceted examples of Triplite with good color and clarity, and weighing over 1 carat, are uncommon gems from this deposit.

We are fortunate to have some very good faceted Triplite gems to offer.  They were mined in the summer season of 2009.  This oval is the large and best stone we have.