0.17 ct. Mellite

Mellite is a rarely offered gem material.  It is unusual in that it is organic in origin, an aluminum salt of mellitic acid.  It is a rare mineral known from just a few localities and is almost never faceted - along with its rarity, it is quite soft at 2.5 on the Mohs scale.  There are significant gemmy areas in this stone, colorless and near colorless gems with any inclusions tend to photograph poorly - it is a nice example of a very difficult species.

$340 total