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Here are some rare specimens; sapphires in matrix from Yogo Gulch, Montana. You can look all over the internet, but I doubt you will find similar specimens. Yogo Gulch is a world famous sapphire mine located not far from the town of Utica, Montana. The deposit is a lamproite dike that cuts across several miles of countryside. It has been mined, off and on, for many years. The sapphires are remarkable because of their consistently fine cornflower blue color (without any heat treatment!) and exceptional clarity. Although most of the crystals are small and tabular in shape, these sapphires set the world standard for fine color and quality. A friend of ours owned property at Sapphire Village, a small trailer community at the edge of the mine, and owned digging rights on part of the sapphire dike. We collected the above specimens at the mine. As you can see, the sapphires are small, but any Yogo sapphire in matrix is a rarity. Most Yogo sapphires occur as very thin plates. The selection of sapphires shown above are typical of specimens from this locale. Some are complete crystals, some are cleaved in half, all are bound to the lamproite matrix in which they formed. Prices vary with size and quality. M499: Sold
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