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What
is it?
"The sparkle of this gem holds
portions of the riches beyond belief in the forms of metals more precious than gold. Occasionally, blue flashes of moonstone
or golden flashes of sun stone add to the flavor. An unusual feature is its magnetic poles. This unique physical property
exists in only two other minerals found in nature to date. Georgia Midnight® gives the enchanting
feeling of a dark yet star-filled sky. Look deep and you may see the mystery, romance and beauty of this one on a kind gem."
This
description of a new gem called Georgia Midnight®, comes from its discoverer, a jeweler / gemologist
/ prospector, C.R. Smith of Prospectors Pouch, Kennesaw, GA. His wife Ilene, says that "CR" has a unique ability to search
and find nature's hidden treasures: He found this stone while prospecting in Georgia for other gems.
When I asked him where he found his "mother lode," he only smiled and said he'd never
divulge his secret. To him, it was a once-in-a-lifetime find.
A specimen of the stone was sent to several labs for
analysis. He reports the following elements were identified in Georgia Midnight®: Gold, silver, platinum,
palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, zinc, chromium, lead, antimony, iron, copper, nickel, vanadium, titanium,
magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sulfur, aluminum, calcium, potassium, sodium, silicon, rubidium, yttrium and strontium.
According to "CR" it is extremely rare to find all these elements in combination together.
The focal point of the stone,
with a black background, is constantly changing due to the erratic shape and colors of the different metals in the stone.
Because of its composition, the stone is normally only cabachoned and not faceted; it looks better with a flat or semi round
finish.
C.R. Smith won't show you a piece of Georgia Midnight® rough, only a finished stone.
He won't sell just a finished stone, only one that is set into a numbered piece of jewelry, which he or one of this staff
will specially design for each customer; many of the designs can be worn by both men and women.
I must admit, this
gemstone is not like any other I have seen. Perhaps one of our Southern jewelers has made a significant gemological find.
Typical
of a true prospector, C.R. Smith intends to keep the location of his find secret, but was willing to share a poem he has written
about his Georgia Midnight® stone (his own registered name for it).
Roy D. Conradi
Southern
Jeweler Magazine
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