Corundum (var. Sapphire)

This exceptional large cabinet sized blue corundum specimen comes from the Bluejay Claim near Revelstoke, British Columbia, a perhaps little-known but highly significant Canadian corundum locality. The specimen shows two main crystals that are a saturated dark navy blue colour sitting on matrix. The crystals are well defined and free of damage other than very minor bruising, making it a fine example from this modern classic Canadian locality.

The Bluejay Claim lies within the complex metamorphic terranes of southeastern British Columbia, where corundum occurs in high-grade metamorphic rocks formed under intense pressure and temperature conditions. Blue corundum from this area is rare, and well-formed crystals of strong colour are seldom encountered. Most material from the claim is fragmentary or poorly developed, making complete, well-crystallized specimens such as this particularly desirable. This piece stands out as a an excellent example from the locality, representing both the geological rarity of Canadian blue corundum and one of the best of what the Bluejay Claim has produced.