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Mawsitsit was first identified by Swiss Gemologist, Eduard Gubelin in
1963. The famous gemologist was traveling in Burma and noticed a bright
green rock with black inclusions being mined. It has taken over 30 years
for this beautiful material to become available to the world at large.
Mawsitsit is not considered
Jade, but is similar in its toughness and the uses made of it. It is composed
of Chrome Jadeite, Ureyite, and Natrolite. It receives its lovely green
color from Chromium and its black swirls from Ureyite. This combination
creates specimens with flowing veins of green and black. The dramatic
contrast of bright green and black is unique in the gem world.
The crystal structure of Mawsitsit is an aggregate very similar to Jade
in its fibrous texture. Mawsitsit ranks 6 to 8 on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness
with a Specific Gravity of 2.50 to 3.10. It occurs in opaque to translucent
form and is waxy to vitreous in luster.
Mawsitsit is used for carvings and cut into cabochons for jewelry. Mawsitsit
is an attractive and very durable stone. It is suitable for everyday wear
jewelry. However, care should also be taken to avoid contact with chemicals
and heat and the use of ultrasonics.
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