This is a little known gem that I just happen to love but I can not seem to find much information on grading and pricing. I would like to know if this is a good investment stone or not…but with all colored stones that are rarer than diamonds (that is a big field of stones) they are worth buying if you can get them at a good price. I try to buy, only, un treated, unheated, stones at all times. I’m funny that way.
So any help with this little unknown stone would be so helpful.
Thanks and as always… All the best,
Otter
TRY E-BAY seems plentiful
Pezzottaite is found on the web sites, usually sold as original bixbite, the ‘red emerald’ from the beryl family of stones. Only close is the color, not as rare as the bixbite, nice stone to own & in good sizes. @ 7 on the mohos scale, found on the African continent. Easily found on web sites. If bought, verify item with a trusted appraiser, good stone for pendents-steve…
Thank Steve,
I have been looking for information on these and just seem to be hitting road blocks. I was unsure if they were in the Bixbite family or not. I am confused about the Mohs hardness of this stone still. One site has it at 7 as you state another 7.5 and one even has it at an 8. I have a cutter out of Thailand that I trust that has some in and will special cut for me. So far I like what I see. I think in a protected setting they would make a nice cocktail ring…maybe.
I did look on eBay and found some wild s#!t. From what I can guess is nicely colored glass to some highly priced, real, fair quality stones.
I will keep digging for information and history on this stone. I like to be fully educated about a stone before I work with it much. i.e. Where it is mined, how much the mines produce, sumulants and treatments, range of colors… gemdat.com does not have all that much information on this stone.
All the best,
Otter
The gem was first mined in Madagascar by a team lead by Dr. Federico Pezzotta, now curator of the mineralogical section of the Milan Museum of Natural History, President of the Italian Mineralogical Review, a prolific publisher and field researcher. You can contact him at fpezzotta@yahoo.com. As a member of the Milan based Gruppo Mineralogico Lombardo myself, I can tell you the Madagascar site has run out of material and apparently there would be a good quantity of it stashed away ready to be put into the market later. For your info pezzottaite is a beryl with a strong cesium contents, after lithium. Unfortunately at this stage I have no other commerical info for you.
Y’all are awesome! Everything that I have found leads me to believe that pezziottitate is NOT Beyrl after all. Close but no cigar. I do love this little enigma and to top it off I think I may have located a star pezziottitate. It is not in your face “star” but a little 4 ray star. I have not acquired it yet but I hope to in the near future if it is indeed a star.
I do love colored stones! Life would be so dull without them.
All the very best!
Otter
I think falls under the Byerl family but is just like Morganite and Aquamarine not quite Byerl is my point. I thought I would clarify my self.
All the colorful best!
Otter