Beryl var. Heliodor

Item Description

We have always treasured these amazing "sculptures of nature" that seem to occur at their best from this historic topaz deposit in Ukraine. Despite producing literally a tonnage of topaz, mineral collectors know this location much more importantly for these dramatic gemmy heliodor crystals. For whatever reasons, most are larger and therefore both pricey and too big for many collectors. Whatever process shaped these strange patterned surfaces hundreds of millions of years ago, the hot fluids and violent environment seems to have destroyed most of the smaller crystals and preserved, preferentially, large crystals. So, strangely, there are more large heliodors (and they are deservedly expensive proportional to their size and weight) to obtain, than of fine specimens of this quality in the 2-3 inch size range. This is a particularly fine example in that range, with absolute transparency, good color, strong shiny and sparkling luster, and a rich and complex patterning. It is doubly-terminated, complete! We purchased this from a Ukrainian collection not long ago, where it has been since it was mined. As a note, part of the rarity of such crystals is also due to the fact that they can be heated, to change them to aquamarine in a standard gemstone treatment lab, and the cutting rough is so valuable that most of these are simply cut into gemstones. It is a miracle that few enough survive, as specimens. This specimen comes already with a custom lucite display base ($145 value). NOTE ON LOCATION NAMES: Khoroshiv Raion is the new preferred name for the old Soviet-era place, Soviet imposed, of Volodarsk-Volynskii. It is one and the same locality, updated for geopolitics.