English: Locality: Ratnapura, Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka

Dimensions: 1.5 cm x 1.0 cm x 0.6 cm

Sinhalite certainly has an interesting story behind it. This material was long thought to be brown peridot until it was investigated in 1952 and found to be a new mineral. The material gets is name from the old Sanskrit word for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "sinhala." This particular stone, 9.53 carats, is a clean, light golden yellow piece of rounded gem rough. It is usually found in metamorphic contacts in limestone like the skarn zones in Tanzania or in Warren County, New York. This is a rare gem, and despite its rarity, it occurs in very large gems from Sri Lanka. Stones between 1-5 carats are not unheard of. A very cool stone and good sized for the material. Acquired in the early 1990s. From near Niriella. Ex. Hoppel Collection.