Afar region in Ethiopia is becoming an important source for a new type of copper-bearing sunstone feldspar. I hope there will be steady supply and demand for this material in the gem market. Copper-bearing sunstones from different sources are visually indistinguishable from one another. Accurate trace element chemical analysis obtained by methods such as LA-ICP-MS, XRF or electron microprobe is critical to separating Ethiopian, Oregon, and copper-bearing feldspar with unknown color origin.
Useful link:
https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2020-gemnews-sunstone-plagioclase-feldspar-from-ethiopia
Discover P.J. Joseph's blog, your guide to colored gemstones, diamonds, watches, jewelry, art, design, luxury hotels, food, travel, and more. Based in South Asia, P.J. is a gemstone analyst, writer, and responsible foodie featured on Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, and CNBC. Disclosure: All images are digitally created for educational and illustrative purposes. Portions of the blog were human-written and refined with AI to support educational goals.
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Showing posts with label Ethiopian Sunstone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ethiopian Sunstone. Show all posts
Saturday, August 22, 2020
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