Icy Blue Sapphire Specimen, 34 x 33 x 17 mm, from British Columbia, Canada

This small, beautiful corundum-sapphire specimen was collected from the Revelstoke region of British Columbia. This material comes from a high-alpine occurrence originally discovered by the late Canadian prospector Herb Hyder, a great friend of mine. Rock Rush now owns the claim and hand-mined and supplied this specimen from this remote location.

This raw mineral specimen features a striking icy blue sapphire crystal hosted in a dark biotite and amphibole matrix. The sapphire in this specimen is a silky, icy blue to soft lavender hue with subtle, deeply saturated dark blue patches. The sapphire crystal in this specimen measures approximately 16 x 12 mm, making it large enough to be visible from a distance. Under ultraviolet light, this specimen puts on a spectacular neon show. While standard blue sapphires typically remain inert, the low-iron geochemistry of this crystal reacts fiercely to UV light. It exhibits a rare, overlapping soft pink-red and fiery orange fluorescence. This vibrant orange glow is a distinct geological footprint, driven by a complex interplay of chromium-bearing geochemistry and magnesium trapped within the crystal lattice. 

Weight: 19 grams

Dimensions: 34 x 33 x 17 mm

This specimen ships in a small box with a label to keep it protected and categorized in your collection.