Just as the Avengers did, a chosen few people can start collecting the stones for their own Infinity Gauntlet as Marvel and East Continental Gems made 300 Reality Stones available for presale on Wednesday.
Officially on sale Nov. 15, the red rubies are the first of the individual gems to debut as part of the Genesis Series of collectible precious stones. The rubies can be placed in an Infinity Gauntlet like the one that was introduced at this year's Comic-Con International. That original assemblage was valued at over $25 million, while this individual piece ranges from $1,500 to $20,000. Buyers will not receive the specific 15-carat ruby in the original gauntlet, as each ruby is hand selected and will be certified by American Gemological Laboratories.
"On the heels of our successful reveal of the Infinity Gauntlet, we wanted to provide Marvel fans and collectors the unique opportunity to take a piece of this Marvel treasure home with them," Paul Gitter, the senior vice president of Marvel Consumer Products, said in a statement.
Other Infinity Stones from the Marvel Universe — Time, Space, Mind, Power and Soul — will follow the release of the rubies. Customers who purchase all six will be eligible to buy a hand-crafted (by Gentle Giant) Infinity Gauntlet to house them.
On the original gauntlet, the Reality Stone is an oval-shaped, natural ruby from Mozambique. In Marvel lore it gives the user the power to will anything in or out of existence and can retroactively create alternate realities.
"We were so excited about the interest and excitement surrounding the unveiling at Comic-Con, however, our real interest was in creating Infinity Gems accessible to more fans of the Marvel Universe," Adam Mirzoeff, president of East Continental Gems, said.
In true comic-book-collecting form, each gem is numbered and will come sealed in custom packaging and shipped in a carrying case.
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