Aquamarine on Smoky Quartz (RARE locality specimen) (ex Bill Larson Collection)

Item Description

A virtually unheard of specimen from the Ed Fletcher Jr. Mine in Pala, just south of the famous Tourmaline King Mine. This locality dates back to 1914, and specimens are seemingly impossible to find on the market. This particular specimen features a sharp, translucent, light blue colored Aquamarine colored measuring 1.1 cm sitting on a crystal of Smoky Quartz. The back of the Smoky Quartz has been sheared where it presumably broke away from the matrix. The Aqua crystal is in good shape, and it even shows a little pyramidal modification on the termination. The upper edge of the Aqua is contacted, but appears to be at least partially re-crystallized ("re-healed"). If you collect San Diego County minerals, worldwide Beryls or simply minerals from rare localities, this is a big deal, as you never see Ed Fletcher pieces anywhere. Valued at $750. Don't miss out on this one. From the collection of Bill Larson of Fallbrook, California. Bill is a well-known gem and mineral dealer as well as a miner and collector. Bill is synonymous with minerals of San Diego County, and owned and operated famous mines such as the Stewart Lithia, the Tourmaline Queen, the Pala Chief and the Himalaya, producing some of the most iconic mineral specimens to come out of the area during the 1970s-1980s. Bill is also known as "Burma Bill" and traveled the world for decades in search of fine gems and minerals, and was directly involved in the in-person acquisition and importation of superb specimens and stones from Myanmar (Burma). You can read his biography at https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/larsonwilliam-f/