Yellow muscovite from Brazil

Abstract

Micas are rarely faceted due to their softness (Mohs 2½) and perfect cleavage, but occasionally compact aggregates showing an attractive color are polished into beads, carvings, objets d'art, or even faceted stone. At the 2010 Tucson gem shows, a new gem-quality yellow mica debuted from Itinga in the Araçuaí pegmatite district, Minas Gerais, Brazil (e.g., figure 23). It was sold as yellow lepidolite by most dealers or as muscovite (M. Macrì, "Lepidolite gialla di qualità gemma," Rivista Gemmologica Italiana, Vol. 5, No. 3, 2010, pp. 234– 235). A faceted stone and cabochon were donated to the GIA Collection by Mauro Pantò (The Beauty in the Rocks, Laigueglia, Italy). Mr. Pantò has polished approximately 1,000 carats of faceted stones and 2,000 carats of cabochons, ranging from 4 to 12 ct.

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