Epidote Crystals
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Gemrocks Epidote crystal mining
In 2021, Gemrock Peru started mining Epidote in the desert mountains of Lima province.
Our mine is producing a great variety of crystals in different sizes and qualities, which we offer as collectors pieces, in specimen flats and by the kilo.
Epidote is an abundant rock-forming mineral, but one of secondary origin. It occurs in marble and schistose rocks of metamorphic origin. It is also a product of hydrothermal alteration of various minerals (feldspars, micas, pyroxenes, amphiboles, garnets, and others) composing igneous rocks.
Well developed crystals of epidote are crystallizing in the monoclinic system and are of frequent occurrence: they are commonly prismatic in habit, the direction of elongation being perpendicular to the single plane of symmetry. The faces are often deeply striated and crystals are often twinned.
Many of the characters of the mineral vary with the amount of iron present for instance, the color, the optical constants, and the specific gravity. The color is green, grey, brown or nearly black, but usually a characteristic shade of yellowish-green or pistachio-green.
Epidote displays strong pleochroism (or iridiscense), means their optical properties vary with the direction of light. The direction of the electric field determines the polarization of light, and crystals will respond in different ways if this angle is changed.
We are cutting non-crystalized massive epidote into spheres, tumbled and other products. We are also ofering massive crystals where the fan-shaped crystals are not yet separated from each other for gemcutting to lapidary clients. Finally we are offering Epidote crystals in different sizes and qualities in flats as well as by the kilo.
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Rarity
Even though it occurs in Europe, Lybia, Egypt, and Mexico, the largest deposits are in Peru. It is not a rare stone.
Color
Angelite is a glacier-blue or lilac-blue-colored stone.
Color intensity:
In the Angelite mines, one can buy a whitish, pale blue version of Angelite at a cheaper price. This pale material is not adequate for jewelry. Jewelry-grade Angelite displays a more intense blue and can be acquired from mines at a higher price.
Uniformity of color:
Angelite generally displays a uniform coloration with very few color shades.
Impurities
Angelite shows white and brown impurities. White impurities are gypsum. Gypsum impurities appear as tiny white flecks or as massive lines of gypsum penetrating the stone along microcracks in the material. Most likely those cracks opened the way for water to penetrate the stone, which hydrated the cracks and initiated the Angelites’ deterioration into gypsum along those cracks.
The reddish-brown impurities penetrate a great part of the Angelite volume in a similar pattern to the gypsum lines.
Gypsum lines and brownish impurities render more than 75 % of the Angelite unsuitable for jewelry.
Angelite with just a few tiny white gypsum flecks may be used for economy jewelry at a lower price level. However, less than 20 percent of the Angelite rough rock material acquired in the mine is free of impurities and suitable for top-quality jewelry.
In order to obtain this material the nodes must be cut open and all unsuitable material must be cut away. In order to obtain 1 kilo of jewelry-grade material we are buying 5 kilos of rough rock and discard 4 kilos on average.
Polishable
When polishing Angelite Gemrock cutters do NOT follow the regular steps of increasingly finer diamond wheels from 600 to 3000 grit. Maximum polish can be obtained by polishing to 1200 grit and then adding a different polishing method, developed by us, which makes a by far superior polished surface pop out.
Cutting Quality
Challenges:
Angelite is a very soft material. Cutting it requires the application of very little pressure against the shaping and polishing wheels. Cutting small cabs from this soft material becomes more difficult the smaller the required cab is. Inexperienced cutters will most likely deform the cab.
Advantages:
Angelite does not tend to break or chip. Experienced cutters therefore can obtain very sharp unchipped edges between the backside and bezel as well as between the bezel and dome.
Top-cutting-quality is characterized by:
- a polished backside
- a sharp unchipped edge between the backside and the bezel
- a very straight and even highly polished bezel
- a sharp unchipped edge between the bezel and the dome
- a well-shaped dome, not showing any deformation
- Top-quality polish
Be aware of wrongfull quality grading
It’s commonplace in the crystal industry to cut cheap cabochons from any kind of Angelite without applying any kind of grading for high-quality material. Frecuently you can find cabochons made from completely unsuitable material full of brown and white impurities. Unscrupulous dealers take advantage of the lack of knowledge of crystal shops, jewelers, and final clients and market such low-grade and even trashy material as Tripple A top-grade material.
Pricing
Adequate pricing must take into account the cost factors to obtain top-quality cabochons:
- Acquisition of top-grade Angelite with strong color in the mine.
- Selection of material without impurities and discarding more than 80 percent of the rough rock as unsuitable for jewelry.
- A usual material loss of approximately 90 % of the selected material during the cutting and shaping process.
- The level of experience required by a cutter to produce a flawlessly shaped and highly polished cabochon from such a soft material.
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Cutting services
Do you need reliable high-quality cutting services for a reasonable price? Are you looking for a service provider that is willing to develop new products according to your requirements? Would you like to get expert advice in order to improve your product? Do you wish for someone to optimize the process and get the most out of your rough? Just talk to us.
Get in Touch
+51 994104206
gemrockinternational@gmail.com