CORUNDUM var. Ruby

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The ancient Sivec marble quarries on Sivec Mountain in North Macedonia are believed to have begun operations around 500 BC and reached their zenith during the period of Roman occup ation. Within the white dolomitic marble lie calcite veins containing Corundum which occurs as both the varieties Ruby and Sapphire. The locality is however famous for its bubble gum-pink Ruby crystals with a structure and texture of candy-sugar, the prism faces having a fine granular sucrosic appearance and touch. This beautiful specimen is formed from a primary asymmetric hexagonal crystal 5.7 x 4.0 x 3.5 cm with a part, 3 cm wide smaller crystal branching away from the top face. The crystals are opaque with tinges of translucency around their edges and under LWUV fluoresces bright scarlet with rich salmon-orange pinacoid faces. Under SWUV it is completely non-fluorescent. A splendid Ruby specimen from this very ancient locality and ex. the Dr Josef Clemente Collection. Show more