Simpsonite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

Optics:o= 2.034; e=1.976.

Uniaxial (-).

Occurrence: In granite pegmatites, usually with biotite.

Bikita, Zimbabwe; Alto do Giz, Ecuador; Kola Peninsula, USSR.

Onca and Paraiba, Brazil: facetable material.

Tabba Tabba. Western Australia: facetable yellowish crystals.

Comments: Simpsonite is an extremely rare gemstone. The material from Western Australia is bright yellow-orange and very beautiful. The mineral is hard and durable, with no cleavage, and could easily become a popular gemstone if it were more abundant. Gems over 1 carat should be considered extremely rare because clean material is a very small percentage of the limited supply of simpsonite that has been found.

Name: After Dr. E. S. Simpson, former government mineralogist of Western Australia.

Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA

Dr. Joel E. Arem has more than 60 years of experience in the world of gems and minerals. After obtaining his Ph.D. in Mineralogy from Harvard University, he has published numerous books that are still among the most widely used references and guidebooks on crystals, gems and minerals in the world.

Co-founder and President of numerous organizations, Dr. Arem has enjoyed a lifelong career in mineralogy and gemology. He has been a Smithsonian scientist and Curator, a consultant to many well-known companies and institutions, and a prolific author and speaker. Although his main activities have been as a gem cutter and dealer, his focus has always been education. joelarem.com

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