Sphene
Sphene is one of those magical gems that can really enchant you—the best faceted examples display brilliant fire and flash three different colours.
Sphene is a very rare calcium titanium silicate that is hardly ever seen in jewellery or collections. Sphene is also called ‘titanite’. which derives from the fact that it is an ore of titanium. The name sphene comes from the Greek word for wedge, which describes the shape of the ends of sphene crystals. Sphene has been prized for many years, mostly for its high amount of fire and brilliance, however its scarcity always prevented it from becoming well known. Now, new sources of the stone are being found, and we are starting to see slightly more availability. Most of the sphene today comes from Brazil and Madagascar, some from Austria and Switzerland. Sphene is usually very small, as gems of more than two carats are almost impossible to find.
Gem-quality examples are rare; it is a collector’s gem and is particularly rare when you start talking about a clean stone above 5 carats, as is the case with all gemstones, size creates a premium with this species. It has more “fire” than a diamond the gemstone has one of the highest dispersions of any mineral; the term dispersion refers to a mineral’s ability to break white light into spectral colours and therefore shows intense fire, showcasing multiple colours, especially when it’s well-cut. It’s 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale, making it softer than other, more well-known gems so ideal to be set in a pendant or earrings. It comes in a variety of hues, but some are preferred.
Sphene’s typical colour range is yellow, green, orange and brown. There are also pinks and reds, which are rarer, as well as some black and colourless material. However, the gemstone is vibrant in an almost lime green hue that also shows flashes of orange and yellow.
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