Spectacular and Very Large Sphalerite - A Member of the 100 Carats Club

Spectacular and Very Large Sphalerite - A Member of the 100 Carats Club
Picos de Europa, Santander, Spain
From a very small mine, now closed for at least twenty years, comes this superb and rare faceted sphalerite. Sphalerite, a zinc iron sulfide, is usually found in black and very rarely in the rich orange color seen here—and it is rarely seen cut into a gemstone. The luster of sphalerite is its strongest attribute, i.e. it is adamantine, with a high refractive index and brilliance greater than diamonds. Vivid red with orange flashes abound in this modified, triangular-cut sphalerite, a large one for the species, which originates from the classic source in Spain. Weighing approximately 169.3 carats and measuring 36 x 31 x 20mm