Aquamarine on Muscovite

Item Description

Each of the crystals on this matrix specimen is superb in gemminess and transparency, with glassy luster. For the locality, they are of the highest quality you can get in terms of transparency and rich blue color. Both measure about 4 cm tall and 3.5 cm across the width of the terminations. However, the leftmost crystal is a normal hexagonal prism, a stereotypic beryl crystal. The righmost is truncated on the depth axis and so is compressed, creating a starkly contrasting geometry to the brother on the left. Why this should be, is hard to explain - usually beryl crystals on the same matrix plate would have identical habits and it is rare to find otherwise. Both are undamaged and complete around their upper terminations, and only the left crystal has a break or contacted lower termination (that sticks out of the muscovite but is in any case not too distracting). The crystals rest in, and are complemented by, a nest of muscovite blades that covers underlaying base rock (sawed on the bottom so it will sit flat for display). Overall, then, this is a large, well-composed, specimen with crystals of unusually high calibre for the locality. To get a matrix aquamarine of this unique aesthetic look will not break the bank, whereas to get a more gemmy, taller slender crystal, frankly a dime a dozen, is going to cost more and will not in any case give you something as rare to own. I much favor smaller, choice crystals on matrix, for this locality. Consigned from the collection of a longtime European gem species collector, this is valued at $4000-5000