Chrysoberyl (twin) (2013 find)

Item Description

Although Chrysoberyl isn't considered a terribly rare mineral, there are few places in the world that produce fine quality crystallized specimens. I think that most people are familiar with specimens from Brazil which were the only good representations of the species on the market for many years. Sure, you might find an Alexandrite from the Urals of Russia or possibly Zimbabwe, but Chrysoberyls are not that easy to find on the market. In early 2013 there was a discovery of attractive Chrysoberyls in Madagascar, and we were lucky enough to pick up the entire lot! This thumbnail has a wonderful-green color along with sharp, lustrous well-formed faces and decent translucency when backlit. The piece is actually twinned showing the classic "sixling" (it's actually a "trilling") form for which Chrysoberyls are known. It's not 100% complete, but it's still in very good shape and would make a nice addition to any gem crystal suite or thumbnail collection.