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Description
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Howardite cab ~
Offered here is an amazing cabochon of howardite (an unsual and rare form of opalized-silicated tuff), from northern Nevada. According to the miner, this material is all long out of the ground now, and what little there is left to be had comes at a very high premium. Sometimes called 'rattlesnake stone', it has delightful coloration and figure, reminding me of crazy venetian blinds or zippers, oddly enough. The darkest areas you see in the pic are actually highly translucent ribbons, some of which contain tiny drusy pockets, giving the stone a nice quality of depth. The backlit photo really shows what this one's all about. The cab has a well rounded dome of 6mm, a sweet designer 'flame' shape, and a brilliant polish both front and back.
Size: 52x25mm
Weight: approximately 44 carats
Sold
Current gemstone offerings
 Howardite
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