Lot 496
Amethyst "Cathedral" From Brazil. Absolute finest quality amethyst for clarity and color, enchantingly arrayed within one of the legendary "shimmering light cathedrals" from Brazil. This exquisite specimen, for the cabinet of a world-class gem connoisseur, stands about l3" tall, is 9 " wide and weighs just shy of 20 pounds; but size and weight are hardly a consideration, as the cathedrals are valued by SHAPE, COLOR, COMPOSITION, REGULARITY OF STONES, COMPLETENESS and other aesthetic factors--and on all counts, the present example scores very high marks.
The amethyst "cathedrals" begin as a concretion or ball of rock which shows nothing from the outside but a graining greenish/grey surface. They are machine drilled in half (sometimes quarters and eighths, etc.) to reveal the interior,and in the vast majority of instances, the results fall far short of repaying time and labor as the interior proves mediocre. Literally hundreds of concretions must be cut to discover an interior as perfect as on this specimen, and even then there may not be ideal or even marketable shape, in which event, the specimen will be totally broken up and the crystals used for jewelry.
Estimated Value $400 - 600.
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