corundum, Sri Lanka.12, inclusions.5, gems

At a meeting of the Mineralogical Society held on 24ᵗʰ January, 1952, for the second time within a year a new gem mineral was described. On the former occasion only two small cut specimens of the mineral (taaffeite) were on view, these representing the whole of the world’s known supply; whereas in describing sinhalite Dr. G. F. Claringbull was able to produce a score of cut examples, some of them of considerable size. There was also one small pebble of rough, recovered by Dr. E. H. Rutland from samples of illam held by the lapidaries, Charles Mathews & Son.