A beautiful example of the classic, rare and desirable "Trapiche" habit seen in this Sapphire from Mong Hsu. This piece is a polished cross-section that has sharp, black, well-defined "spokes" or "legs" sitting in a mix of pastel pink, yellow and tan hues. A great piece for any collector, or an excellent center stone for a pendant or other piece of jewelry.
A little history -
The word "Trapiche" comes from the name of a Spanish mill consisting of wooden spokes or rollers that were designed to extract the juice from fruit, including olives, dating back to the Middle Ages. The machine was also later adapted to extract juice from sugar cane.
This term has been used for minerals since 1879 when Emile Bertrand first used it to describe Emeralds from Colombia. The dark six-sided star shaped patterns seen inside the crystals (when viewed looking down the "c" axis) are similar to the actual spokes of a trapiche machine. A Trapiche is the result of the hexagonal shape of the crystal, where the darker impurities interrupt the growth of the crystal and are pushed to the center of the crystal and then radiates out in the six directions of the corners of the crystal. Typically, it is required that crystals are sliced and polished in order to see the "legs" of the Trapiche more clearly.
Although this phenomenon is exceptionally rare around the world, in addition to Emeralds, I have personally observed these inclusions in Ruby, Sapphire and Tourmaline, so it stands to reason that there is a connection between hexagonal / trigonal mineral species and the "Trapiche" effect.
Locality: Mong Hsu, Loilem District, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma)
Specimen Size: 5.58 x 4.99 mm (thumbnail)
Specimen Weight: 0.43 cts
Shipping from United States
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1-3 business days
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I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
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Mineral Classics Privacy Policy
Last updated 3 July 2022.
This Privacy Policy describes how and when Mineral Classics (“I”, “me”, “my”) collects, uses, and shares information when you purchase an item from Mineral Classics (https://www.etsy.com/shop/MineralClassics), contact me, or otherwise use my services through Etsy.com or its related sites and services.
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You may reach me with any concerns relating to privacy at brian@minclassics.com , or by mail at my physical address PO Box 620982 Littleton, CO 80126 United States addressed to Brian Kosnar Mineral Classics.
For purposes of EU data protection law, I, Angela Kosnar, am the data controller of your personal information. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me at angela@minclassics.com.