Natural Grandidierite 5.72ct 13.2x9mm Oval Cut

An elongated oval that almost reads as two stones in one. A cool aqua-teal runs along the top edge and down the left side, clear and reasonably saturated, while the center and lower half open into milky cream and pale yellow-white cloud. The boundary between the two is soft rather than sharp, so the color drifts from blue-green to near-white as the eye travels down the stone. Small dark crystal points sit near the upper right shoulder. At 13.2mm long this is the biggest spread of the faceted grandidierites here.

Zoning of this kind is normal in Madagascan grandidierite, where the gem-quality material often grows as a colored layer within paler host, and the stone is cut as the rough gives it rather than sacrificing weight to chase an even hue. Untreated. Mohs 7 to 7.5, so it is perfectly wearable, though a stone with this much internal contrast tends to show best in a bezel or a pendant where the whole face stays visible. A characterful piece for a collector who wants the zoning rather than in spite of it.

Natural grandidierite, Madagascar, sold loose.