Esther Park
Cataloguer
Gems and Minerals of Old Burma / Group of Tenebrescent Hackmanite Cabochons
Lot 2027
Group of Tenebrescent Hackmanite Cabochons
10 – 20 May 2022, 12:00 PDT
Online, Los AngelesSold for US$765 inc. premium
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Claudia Florian
Co-Consulting Director, Gemologist
Group of Tenebrescent Hackmanite Cabochons
Burma
Named after the Finnish geologist, Victor Hackman, Hackmanite is an important variety of Sodalite which exhibits the phenomenon of tenebrescence. When freshly mined, it is generally white or green but develops a violet to pink-red color in sunlight. If left in a dark environment for some time, the violet will fade again. Tenebrescence is accelerated by the use of long wave or, particularly, shortwave ultraviolet light. Sodalite that shows this behavior is known as hackmanite. Very few minerals exhibit this phenomenon which is also known as reversible photochromism, a word that applies to sunglasses which change color density on exposure to sunlight. The present example is a group of oval, pear shaped and triangular cabochons of various hues of translucent lavender and purple hackmanites which is tenebrescent. When seen under UV light, the lavender cabochons display a bright orange hue. Total weighing approximately 113.01 carats (lot)
Named after the Finnish geologist, Victor Hackman, Hackmanite is an important variety of Sodalite which exhibits the phenomenon of tenebrescence. When freshly mined, it is generally white or green but develops a violet to pink-red color in sunlight. If left in a dark environment for some time, the violet will fade again. Tenebrescence is accelerated by the use of long wave or, particularly, shortwave ultraviolet light. Sodalite that shows this behavior is known as hackmanite. Very few minerals exhibit this phenomenon which is also known as reversible photochromism, a word that applies to sunglasses which change color density on exposure to sunlight. The present example is a group of oval, pear shaped and triangular cabochons of various hues of translucent lavender and purple hackmanites which is tenebrescent. When seen under UV light, the lavender cabochons display a bright orange hue. Total weighing approximately 113.01 carats (lot)