Friedelite beetle This specimen is a fine

This specimen is a fine lustrous

The fact that it's over 5 carats is a big deal

Camp Bird or Idarado)

which formed in stages during period of hydrothermal etching to create the thin base with the thicker scepter cap on top

Friedelite beetle This specimen is a fineWith the hundreds of species found at Franklin and Sterling Hill, there are only a few that are worthy of yielding cut stones. A few that come to mind are Willemite, Zincite and Friedelite. Most species from Franklin are either too tiny, too devoid of color or too freaking rare to even consider cutting into gems. Friedelite is a cool phyllosilicate and the historic mining district at Franklin is probably the only place in the world to yield gemmy