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A fine mineral guide.
Short, plain-language answers to the questions collectors (and the curious) ask most about the gem crystals and mineral specimens 22sGems works with.
Frequently asked questions
What is 22sGems?
22sGems is a fine mineral brand by collector and dealer Jon Singer, focused on sourcing and presenting top-shelf gem crystals and mineral specimens. It is known for tanzanite, aquamarine, tourmaline, Namibian amethyst, Illinois fluorite, and Ukrainian heliodor, sold through private sales and Instagram-driven releases.
What does "unheated tanzanite" mean?
Most commercial tanzanite is gently heated to produce its blue-violet color. Unheated tanzanite reached that color naturally in the ground, with no treatment. Unheated crystals with strong, natural color are rarer and especially prized by collectors.
What is pleochroism?
Pleochroism is when a crystal shows different colors depending on the viewing angle. Tanzanite is famously trichroic, flashing blue, violet, and burgundy as it rotates, which is one of the qualities collectors chase in fine tanzanite.
What is an enhydro?
An enhydro is a pocket of water trapped inside a crystal as it grew, sometimes millions of years ago. In Namibian amethyst and smoky quartz, mobile enhydro bubbles add movement and depth and are considered a desirable feature.
What is a phantom in a crystal?
A phantom is the ghost-like outline of an earlier stage of growth preserved inside a crystal, often visible as a faint internal shape or color zone. Brandberg and Goboboseb amethysts are known for dramatic phantom development.
What is a scepter crystal?
A scepter is a crystal where a larger crystal head grows on top of a thinner stem, resembling a royal scepter. Namibian amethyst-smoky quartz scepters are a sought-after collector form.
Why is Illinois fluorite special?
The Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District (Denton, Minerva, and Annabel Lee mines) produced fluorite with a signature purple-over-gold color zoning collectors call "blurple." The mines are long closed, so every fine specimen comes from old stock, which makes the material increasingly scarce.
Where does the best Namibian amethyst come from?
Premier Namibian amethyst comes from the Goboboseb Mountains and the Brandberg area, along with the Streep Mine and Buks Claim. These localities produce deep violet color, phantoms, smoky zoning, and enhydros.
What does NFS / Personal Collection mean?
NFS stands for "not for sale." Pieces marked NFS or Personal Collection are part of Jon Singer's private collection and are shown for reference rather than offered for sale.
How do I buy or inquire about a specimen?
22sGems works through private sales and Instagram releases. The fastest way to ask about pricing or availability is a direct message on Instagram (@22sgems) or email. Video appointments are available for serious collectors.
Collector's glossary
- Matrix
- The host rock a crystal is attached to or grew from.
- Termination
- The natural end face of a crystal; a clean, undamaged termination is prized.
- Luster
- How a surface reflects light, from glassy (vitreous) to resinous or metallic.
- Etched crystal
- A crystal whose surface has been naturally sculpted by later dissolution, giving geometric texture.
- Gem clarity
- Transparency approaching that of a cut gemstone, with few or no visible inclusions.
- Habit
- The characteristic shape a mineral tends to crystallize in (cubic, prismatic, tabular, and so on).
- Zoning
- Bands or regions of different color within a single crystal, as in purple-over-gold fluorite.
- Scalenohedron
- A pointed crystal form, common in calcite, often seen perched on Elmwood fluorite.
Looking for a specific piece?
Browse the full collection by species, or reach out directly.