Patterns:

Clear, swirled, banded, "aggregate in gel," and "cellular." All produce stones with a very unique character. A single stone may have more than one pattern type. The cellular pieces often have banding.

Clear: These are pieces with mostly even color and consistency. Most of these pieces upon close examination have some pattern usually swirled or banded. The stones which are clearest and have deep vibrant colors are the most valued. Top grades have been known to bring $1,000 a carat.

Swirled: Often times Sugilite looks like it was once a liquid purple gel in which other types of mineral were thrown into the mix, then stirred and cooled and served up as swirled Sugilite. In the clear form the other ingredients appear to have been left out..

Banded: Layering in Sugilite is common. Often times thin parallel lines of orange, gray, brown or black matrix will run through the material yielding a banded look, not unlike malachite.

Aggregate in gel: This form is much like the "swirled" type except the mix was not stirred. Often times the gel is of very high grade.

Cellular: This is a wonderful variation of Sugilite. It looks like an enlarged cross-section of a living organism, showing cellular structure. Often times banding is associated with this pattern.

Inclusions of gray, yellow, blue, brown and black are common. Desirability and value of any given stone pattern can be very subjective.

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Page last updated August 22, 2000