Heliodor (fine classic material) (ex Jim Houran Collection)

Item Description

The old Roebling Mine in Merryall, New Milford, Connecticut operated from 1880-1900 with the purpose of recovering Mica and Feldspar, but it was discovered that the locality produced gem quality Beryls, which turned out of be a happy accidental by-product. Individual crystals of Beryl at this mine were found measuring more than 1 foot in diameter, and 4,000 Beryl gemstones were reportedly cut in the year 1896 alone. This stone is a very fine Heliodor, and a great representation of this classic material. The gem has a fantastic "Brilliant Modified Shield" cut with virtually eye clean clarity and a gentle yellow hue. The color in this stone is 100% natural, and it has not been heated or altered in any way to enhance the color. The attached letter with this stone states that this stone was cut from a piece of rough obtained from mine owner Howard Hewitt in 1980 by Carl Barney. Carl brought back dump truck loads of "mine run" and sorted through the pegmatite itself looking for small gem pieces suitable for faceting. This particular stone was faceted Troy Richardson of Lawrence, Kansas. From the collection of Dr. James "Jim" Houran, noted thumbnail mineral collector, gemstone collector and a speaker at our annual Dallas Mineral Symposium. Jim is the Managing Director of AETHOS Consulting Group. He's a 25-year veteran in applied psychological research and a published expert on peak performance, online testing and interpersonal and organizational compatibility. He has authored over 150 articles, and his award-winning work has been profiled by a myriad of media outlets and programs including the Discovery Channel, A&E, BBC, National Geographic, NBC’s Today Show, USA Today, New Scientist, Psychology Today and Forbes.com.