Fluorescent hackmanite sphere 65mm

The largest of the hackmanite spheres at 65mm and 386g. In white light the surface shows pale white-grey with more prominent grey-blue feldspar zones than the 58mm companions, scattered soft purple-lavender hackmanite patches, and rust-brown iron oxide inclusions across the polished surface. The feldspar content is visibly higher here than in the smaller spheres. The purple-lavender zones are the hackmanite in its tenebrescent state. Under longwave UV (365nm) the display has a distinctive character: the feldspar matrix emits a broad blue-teal glow across much of the sphere, the hackmanite zones produce scattered orange-gold patches, and dark non-fluorescent areas create substantial contrast throughout. The proportion of dark non-fluorescent zones is higher here than in either 58mm sphere, giving this sphere the most complex and visually varied UV patterning of the three.

Tenebrescence is hackmanite's reversible color change from white or pale grey in darkness to pink or violet under UV or sunlight, bleaching back in ordinary light. The purple-lavender zones on the daylight surface are the tenebrescent state developed from ambient exposure. At 65mm and 386g this is the largest and heaviest sphere in the group; the broader feldspar distribution visible in daylight and the wider blue-teal coverage under UV both reflect the higher proportion of non-hackmanite host minerals relative to the smaller spheres. From Badakhshan, Afghanistan.

• Stone type: Natural hackmanite (tenebrescent sodalite)
• Weight: 386g
• Size: 65mm
• Color: White, pale purple, grey-blue
• Fluorescence (365nm): Strong orange (hackmanite zones), blue-teal (feldspar matrix)
• Cut: Sphere
• Clarity: Opaque
• Treatment: Untreated
• Origin: Afghanistan

Natural hackmanite sphere, 65mm, tenebrescent, Afghanistan.