Description
Ruby in Feldspar Biotite Matrix Crystal Specimen
This genuine Ruby in Feldspar/Biotite Matrix crystal specimen is a carefully chosen natural mineral piece from Mysore, Karnataka, India. It has been selected for its attractive colour contrast, geological interest, and strong collector appeal. The photograph shows the actual specimen you will receive, allowing you to view the natural ruby crystal areas, feldspar matrix, biotite content, surface texture, shape, and display character before purchase. Full sizing can be seen in the photo.
Ruby is one of the most famous coloured varieties of the mineral corundum, admired for its rich red colour and long-standing importance as both a gemstone material and a collectable mineral specimen. In this piece, the ruby occurs naturally within a feldspar and biotite-bearing matrix, giving the specimen a more geological, natural, and educational presentation than a cut or polished gemstone. This makes it ideal for collectors who enjoy seeing minerals in their original host rock setting.
Geology, Crystal Type and Mineral Species
Ruby is the red variety of corundum, with the chemical formula Al2O3, meaning it is composed of aluminium oxide. Its red colour is caused primarily by trace amounts of chromium within the crystal structure. Corundum is a very hard mineral, ranking 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, second only to diamond among standard reference minerals. This hardness is one reason ruby has been valued historically as a gemstone material, but natural matrix specimens are also highly desirable for mineral collectors and geology displays.
Feldspar is a major rock-forming mineral group and is one of the most abundant mineral groups in the Earth’s crust. It commonly occurs in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, often forming pale, cream, white, pinkish, or greyish matrix material. Biotite is a dark mica mineral, typically black, brown, or bronze in colour, with a platy or flaky habit. The combination of ruby, feldspar, and biotite gives this specimen a varied mineral composition and a strong natural contrast between red corundum, lighter feldspar, and darker mica-rich areas.
Mysore, Karnataka, India Locality Interest
Mysore, in Karnataka, India, is part of a region known for varied geological formations and mineral occurrences, including metamorphic rocks that can host corundum and associated minerals. Ruby in matrix specimens from India are valued for their natural appearance, often showing ruby crystals or ruby-rich areas embedded within pale feldspar, mica, or other host rock minerals.
This type of specimen is particularly appealing because it preserves the ruby in a natural geological context. Rather than being presented as a loose gemstone, the ruby remains attached to its matrix, showing how the mineral formed and was hosted within the surrounding rock. For collectors, this adds educational and aesthetic value, especially when displayed as part of a corundum, Indian mineral, gemstone mineral, or metamorphic rock collection.
Crystal Habit, Colour and Natural Appearance
Ruby commonly occurs as hexagonal crystals, barrel-shaped crystals, irregular crystal masses, or granular areas within host rock. In matrix specimens, the ruby may appear as deep red, pinkish red, purplish red, or darker red crystal sections surrounded by feldspar and biotite. Colour can vary naturally across the specimen depending on crystal thickness, mineral inclusions, surface exposure, and the way light interacts with the ruby-bearing areas.
The feldspar matrix may provide pale contrast, while biotite can add dark, lustrous, flaky, or mica-like areas. These natural mineral associations help emphasise the ruby and make the specimen visually interesting from multiple angles. Surface textures, natural fractures, mineral boundaries, crystal outlines, and matrix patterns are all part of the character of the piece.
As the photo shows the actual specimen supplied, the buyer can view the exact colour, structure, matrix coverage, and natural formation before ordering. Each ruby in matrix specimen is individual, with its own distribution of ruby, feldspar, biotite, and host rock features.
Genuine Specimen with Certificate of Authenticity
This Crystal is a genuine specimen and includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card. The certificate provides reassurance that the item supplied is an authentic natural mineral specimen, carefully selected for sale as a collectable crystal and geological display piece.
Although ruby itself is a very hard mineral, the surrounding matrix may include softer or more fragile minerals such as feldspar and biotite. For this reason, the specimen should be handled carefully, kept dry, and displayed away from rough contact, dropping, or abrasive surfaces. It is best suited for indoor display in a cabinet, mineral tray, labelled collection, study set, shelf display, or natural history arrangement.
Collector, Display and Gift Appeal
Ruby in Feldspar/Biotite Matrix is an excellent specimen for collectors who appreciate gemstone minerals in their natural host rock. It combines the commercial appeal of ruby with the geological interest of a matrix specimen, making it suitable for mineral collectors, crystal displays, geology students, educational collections, and natural history cabinets.
The specimen can be displayed alongside other gemstone minerals such as sapphire, garnet, spinel, tourmaline, beryl, quartz, and feldspar specimens. Its Indian locality, natural matrix setting, and attractive red ruby content make it a meaningful addition to a collection focused on corundum, metamorphic minerals, classic gemstone species, or worldwide mineral localities.
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