Beryl (rich blue color)

Item Description

Typically, we don't see a lot of blue Beryls from Afghanistan, and this piece is certainly a BLUE BERYL. This is not Aquamarine, as the name is supposed to indicate the color of the sea/ocean, and this is simply richer than the typical hues associated with Aquamarine. At first, the color almost reminded me of the newer Alkali-Beryl specimens from Deo Darrah in Badakhshan, and I've seen little Bazzite crystals with this darker blue color, but this piece hasn't been analyzed, so we can't say for certain what's causing the rich hue. Keep in mind that this piece was mined 40+ years ago, as it has an old placard display label from the 1970s-1980s era, so it predates all the contemporary Alkali-Beryl specimens by a few decades. The crystals are also prismatic on this piece, versus the tabular habit of the crystals from Deo Darrah. The color is actually not consistent throughout the crystals, as when they are backlit, you can see one edge is more colorless than anything, and the dark blue color seems to be concentrated on one half of the crystals. With all that said, this is a rare and unique specimen, unlike anything I've seen from Afghanistan. The piece features three distinct crystals measuring up to 2.2 cm, with sharp, well-formed faces good luster and no damage, aesthetically sitting atop minor beige feldspar matrix. The piece sits nicely on its own without the aid of a base or clay. Very attractive in person, and if you collect Beryls or pegmatite minerals, this is something special to add to your collection.
From the collection of Bill ("Burma Bill") Larson of Fallbrook, California. Bill is a well-known gem and mineral dealer (Pala International) as well as a miner and collector. Bill 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 from many important gem-producing localities. You can read his biography at https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/larsonwilliam-f/