Corundum var. Sapphire

A stunning double terminated crystal of Sapphire, a variety of Corundum, from the rich gem-bearing district of Ratnapura in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka.  The crystal is hexagonal in cross-section and tapered to a point at each end.  The crystal would be described as a floater as it shows no point of attachment.  The overall colour is cornflower-blue, but on closer inspection displays alternating horizontal banding of cornflower-blue and milky-bluish-white.  The prism faces are smooth but deeply striated normal to the long axis.  A superb example of an off-matrix Sapphire crystal from the Sri Lankan gem fields.