We cut and hand polish these beautiful spheres ourselves in our lapidary workshop. Sizes vary between 1 and 5”, depending on the rough we manage to buy. Large spheres are more rare as it is unusual to find rough material in large sizes.
Stichtite is a rare and beautiful mineral found at a mere handful of localities around the world. It was originally discovered in Tasmania, Australia by A.S Wesly and named after Robert Carl Sticht. It is also known by the name Atlantisite.
The material we supply has its origins in the scenic, mountainous area of Kaapsehoop in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.
Stichtite is a Magnesium, Crome carbonate mineral with the formula:
Mg6Cr3+2(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O
It is always found in association with Serpentine in Serpentinite metamorphic provinces.
Its colour varies from light pink through lilac to a very dark opaque purple / magenta known as Barbertonite. The serpentine with which it is found can be black, brown or green, with the light apple green being the most sought after. Occasional nodules of Chromite are also present.
It is a soft mineral, 1.5 to 2 on the Mohs scale of hardness, however it takes a beautiful lustrous sheen when polished.
