Beryl var: Aquamarine (classic New England locality)

Item Description

The area around Topsham, Maine is the one of the great New England pegmatite districts, producing classic species and many rarities, with mining dating back to the 1800s. While Beryl is not uncommon from this area, it's rare to find GEM QUALITY crystals such as this. This full-sized thumbnail specimen is a beautiful light greenish colored hexagonal "floater" crystal with superior internal gemminess. The piece shows defined hexagonal prismatic form, with some gentle surface etching in places. Most of the Beryls I've seen from Topsham were fairly opaque or only slightly translucent, to the quality of this piece is about as good as I've seen from the area. No specific quarry is listed on the broken placard label, only Topsham, but it's still a superb example for anybody who loves gem crystals, minerals of New England / Maine or worldwide Beryls. Specimen weight is 16.4 grams. Valued $1,500-$2,000.
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/