Beryl var: Aquamarine with Microcline (Baveno Twin - rare for the locality)

Item Description

These pieces are some of the most beautiful and instantly recognizable Aquamarine specimens from any locality in the modern era of mineral collecting. This attractive small cabinet hosts a few superb, sharp, gemmy, lustrous, notably thick tabular crystals of soft blue Beryl var: Aquamarine measuring up to 6.9 cm with a bit of associated Muscovite Mica, but what really sets this piece apart is the fact that it hosts a porcelain-esque Baveno twinned Microcline crystal measuring 4.7 cm long. This particular habit of Feldspar twinning is named after the old classic locality in Italy, where it was often observed. I have only seen a select few of these over the last 20+ years from Pingwu, and to find such a showy and fine quality example is certainly rare. The upper faces on the Microcline twin are glistening with high luster, and the prism faces actually show a bit of hollow etching, creating a very pleasant contrast. The piece is in very good condition with minimal damage. I love the fact that the Aquamarine crystals are brilliant, sharp and smooth - no pitting or dull faces anywhere. Beryl is a well known mineral, but you have to keep in mind that it's quite rare to find tabular crystals with such wonderful luster, color and gemminess, and then the Baveno twinned Microcline is just a cherry on top. If I had this one on the shelf for sale at a show, retail price would be around $5,000. From the collection of Dr. Stephen Smale. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.