New Acquisitions - Ametrine
- Photography by Ken Larsen. Gift of Michael Dyber, Michael M. Dyber/Ledge Art Studio, 2004.
- Photography by Ken Larsen. Gift of Nancy and Stephen Attaway, Attawaygems/High Country Gems, 2005.
Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth's crust. It is composed of the elements silicon and oxygen, and in its pure state is colorless. However, small amounts of various impurity atoms can yield a wide range of colors. Amethyst, the most prized gem variety of quartz, is purple. Citrine is the golden-yellow to orange variety of quartz. The fancy cut gems here are part amethyst and part citrine, known as ametrine. Even though ametrine is a naturally occurring variety of quartz, most ametrine is artificially created by heat treatment and/or radiation of amethyst. The color zoning in ametrine is due to differing oxidation states of iron inside the crystal. Most ametrine is mined in Bolivia, however there are deposits in Brazil and India.
Both of these ametrines are wonderful additions to the National Gem Collection as they beautifully represent some of the state-of-the-art and creative cutting techniques being used today. The Dyber Ametrine incorporates "Dyber Optic Dishes" creating optical illusions and is faceted and carved by hand. The Attaway Ametrine, the "Eye of Horus," also illustrates faceting combined with one-of-a-kind gemstone carving.
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