Beryl var. Emerald

Unknown Owner

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North Carolina emerald crystals are very rarely found, and most of them are hoarded zealously by those who found them, or their friends who obtained them afterwards. They seldom change hands except when major collections sell. This is a boxbuster thumbnail-size crystal that is very robust. It is complete all around and it is doubly terminated. Actually, we find that it has a small rutile included inside the bottom, proving it is from North Carolina. This specimen came from miner Terry Ledford to Shields Flynn, and was long in his specialized collection of North Carolina minerals. One of a few such specialists, he produced this self-published book on Minerals of NC, in which the specimen is also featured. For what this is, a value and a quality you will not often see. The crystal is complete, translucent throughout, and has strong color saturation - a bit stronger than is typical of most finds here over the years. Future odds of finding more are very remote after the death of Terry Ledford in a tunnel collapse at the location. Approximately 12 grams, and a full thumbnail or perhaps a small miniature as displayed upright on a base.