ASTORITE - a distinctive new gem material

Colonel John Jacob Astor IV, still being talked about today after his ultimate death 90 years ago on RMS titanic. Colonel Astor lived a remarkable life, being remembered for building the Astoria Hotel next to the Waldorf.

In the spring of 1912, he booked his return on the fateful voyage of the Titanic but never made it home. You'll hear his name associated with a new gem material known as Astorite.

Originating from a unique giological area that is historically a rich native metallic district known to mine silver by the ton. Astorite is found in only one place, the Toltec mine. Formally owned by Colonel astor (the wealthiest man in the United States until his untimely death), the Toltec mine lies right in the major fault zone within the san Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado.

A LITTLE MORE HISTORY

Shortly after Colonel Astor's death, the mine was sealed. With the passage of time, the mine was all but forgotten - a pipe dream of untold riches in unmined gold and silver hidden deep within the San Juan Mountains. Except it wasn't completely forgotten. Some 80 years later, the united bank of Denver placed ads in a Colorado newspaper welcoming bids on some patented mining claims. Will Benham, an avid rockhound, thought that he just might have a chance to dig through some rocks, so he tendered hsi bid.

When Will received word that his bid was accepted, he was both surprised and elated. as it was late October - winter in the high country - the property was not accessible. Anxious as he was, Will made good use of his time pring over maps and surveys, becoming more excited with each passing day.

Finally, spring arrived, the snow began to melt and, as the first spring flowers showed through the snow, Will was on his way to investigate his claims. Stopping at the county courthouse, he found that a county road crossed four of his claims and that there was a tunnel made for haulage at the base of the claims. Before he knew it, he had climbed the mountain and discovered a large ore deposit - a sulfide vein containing gold, silver and lead. Will was looking at the Toltec mine.

Working the mine in the summer and spending his winters studying at the Colorado School of mines in Golden, it was five years before he began work on the lower claims. Noticing silver and manganese, he searched in vain for the entrance to the mine. When he spotted an odd-looking pile of rocks, he realized that the historic mine had been dynamited shut. With the aid of his helpers, they entered the mine in 2001 - some 90 years after it was sealed.

WHY ALL THE CONFUSION?

If you were to key in the word, Astorite on the internet, you'd quickly discover a heated controversy. it is a new gem material... or is it simply a clever trade name to market rhodonite?

It's easy to see why there is all this confusion. just examine a piece of astorite and chances are your reaction will be same as that of Will Benham when he first saw the remarkable tints of pure pink mixed with white agate. Believing that he would be mining for rhodonite, he brought in a drill and compressor and set to work.

like rhodonite, Astorite has several tints of pink, ranging from the bold rosy pink to the warmer, softer hues that blend into greyish tones with black spotting. But the pale pink of Astorite sometimes verges upon peach. Translucent, lacy patterns of white agate frequent the stone and are sometimes highlighted with pink spots or plumes. And there is an absence of black manganese veining that is typical of rhodonite, although, intermittently, there are grey and black configurations that may be silver. Although hard to see, there may also be tiny flecks of gold. Other inclusions are yellow helvite and reddish friedelite.

Astorite can be cut into cabochons of various sizes and shapes as well as into crosses, stars and hearts. Also used for pen bases, clock faces, spheres, carvings and jewelry.

Used in jewellery in either standard (calibrated) cabochons or even free forms. Astorite is elegant set in either gold or silver such as custom handcrafted unique rhodochrosite rings. Knowing how wire art jewellers are keen to explore new colours, materials and themes, working with the wide range of pinks, white grey and black colours displayed in Astorite promises to be exiciting.

Colonel John Jacob Astor would be pleased with all this controversy because his experiences would have taught him that as long as everyone is talking, the new gem material would be the hot topic for a period of time and, just perhaps, he would feel that Astorite rightfully represents the beauty of southwestern Colorado, the mystery of the San Juan Mountains, and the unusual quality that typifies the Colonel himself.