Beryl var. Aquamarine & Muscovite, Apatite on Albite ex Meieran

Item Description

Out of all the aquamarines in Gene Meieran's collection, perhaps 200 pieces, there is a huge amount of variety preserved from the last 30-40 years of mining for this gem species in Pakistan, Brazil, and other worldwide locations. Some of the specimens are there because they are simply big and amazing, or gemmy, or different colors. This crystal is a rare phantom, with distinct and unusual zoning within (particularly looking down from the top, you can see a hexagonal phantom top underneath). It is gemmy but also has veils and swirls inside that add interest instead of cloudiness. This has long been in Gene's collection not only because it is a really fine aquamarine with unusual glassiness to it, but because of the aesthetic balance of the species here, and how the aqua crystal stands so nicely upright on a block of white feldspar. It is about the combination, the "art of the combo," so to speak. The crystal is 8 cm tall, 3 cm wide, and pristine with no damage or repairs. It is hugged by books of silvery mica on the right, actual superb crystals in their own right instead of the usual jumbly mess of mica we often see. This is all about the composition, of the two different crystal shapes of aquamarine and mica, perched on a well-trimmed matrix of snow-white feldspar. As a bonus, there is a nice columnar pale pink apatite here as well, glowing yellow under UV light. The aquamarine and muscovite books are complete all around, 360 degrees. It is a stunning piece in person and glows with light aimed down at it from above. Valued $15-20,000.