Triplite (extremely rare) Childrenite A rarely seen matrix Gahnite

A rarely seen matrix Gahnite (a zinc-bearing member of the Spinel Group) from Stratford in Alleghany County which was collected circa 1950s-1960s and comes from the collection of noted Italian author and mineral collector

I showed the piece to Robert Stoufer and he identified the locality for me

as they have such a distinctive appearance combined with the excellent quality

Item # TOURMBRAZ136

Specimen #VIVBOL81809

Triplite (extremely rare) Childrenite A rarely seen matrix GahniteTriplite is not rare in the aspect that it is found in various parts of the world, but the large percentage of ALL Triplites around the world are essentially black and opaque, and not gem quality with a bright salmon orange color like this stone! There was one find of these crystals and rough in Pakistan in the early 2000s, and they are simply some of the most impressive gems of any phosphate I've seen from any locality. This gem weighs in at over