The Exceptional Beauty of Charoite (PUR-003)
The lush Charoite stones in this Magnificent Chunky Necklace exhibit all the striking and natural swirling and fibrous patterns of violet, lavender, lilac, and white and black strands and flame-like pattern that characterize Charoite.The lavenders, lilacs and rich violets in this necklace are just gorgeous! The stones were purchased years ago by Miriam when the quality of the Charoite “flames” was at its peak–with rich lilac to violet colorations and a vivid pearl-like chatoyant glow. The Charoite close-up photo shows the beautiful details of the stones. More recently mined stones, while still very pretty, are not quite as chatoyant and show much lighter lavenders and lilacs than the vivid violets seen in these.
- Total length of the necklace is 17 inches including the clasp. It weighs a full six ounces.
- The twelve Charoite Chunky Nuggets range from one to 0.75 inches and are approximately 0.50 inches thick.
- Two hammered sterling silver puffed rectangles are approximately 0.75 inches long and 0.25 inches square.
- The rondelles and round accent beads are sterling silver.
- Clasp is hammered sterling silver.
NOTE: Here's information about this unique stone you should know: Charoite is a stunning gemstone from Russia that was discovered in the 1940s near the Charo River in the Murun Mountains in Yakutia (Siberia), but was virtually unknown to the outside world until around 1978.The color of this unusual gemstone ranges from opaque lilac to a deep violet with some white translucency. The natural swirling and fibrous pattern of white and black strands characterize this unique stone. In fact, the swirling patterns of interlocking crystals is unlike any other gemstone or minerals. Some gemologists think It's likely that this incredible stone would have gained much greater popularity over the years if it weren’t so unnaturally beautiful. Its unique color, attractive luster and translucent marbling, led many to believe that Charoite is a lab-grown, synthesized material. One resource described it like finding a black flower - so seemingly unnatural in its beauty, it is difficult to explain. Charoite can also be difficult to cut and work with because it tends to break while cutting and polishing. Some of the newer mined stones, that have more quartz in them, may also be impregnated with a plastic to keep the crystals from breaking. Cleaning Care:Charoite is heat sensitive and should not be steam cleaned or put into an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. Like all fine jewelry, all it needs is a soft cloth gently wiped across the surface.