Beryl var: Aquamarine (gemmy ''floater'' cat's eye crystal)

Item Description

Several decades ago, good quality Aquamarine crystals were somewhat difficult to obtain. There were old classics from Russia spaced out on the market, and Brazil was producing them intermittently, but before places like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Namibia were producing specimens, you didn't see a lot of them for sale. There is no doubt that some of the finest world-class Aquamarine specimens ever found are those from the various pegmatite localities in the high mountains of Pakistan. For a few decades now, I think it's fair to say that Pakistan has been the most productive or at least the most impressive country for Aquamarine specimens. This attractive and showy piece is a unique highly etched "floater" crystal showing dozens of thin tapered points on both ends, and when the crystal is rotated in the light, you can see a gorgeous chatoyant "cat's eye" effect in a few spots. One portion of the crystal is incredibly gemmy, virtually water-clear. The color is a very pleasing blue which shifts into a lighter whitish hue in spots due to the chatoyancy. A wonderful, eye-catching specimen of this classic and iconic material. Specimen weight is 36.99 grams.