Morganite is the pink variety of the mineral species Beryl, but sometimes the pink colour is so subtle as to be barely perceptible. That is certainly not the case here, with this absolutely magnificent large crystal from the famous Dara-i-Pech Pegmatite Field, in Konar Province, Afghanistan. In fact, its intensity of pink is stronger than many tourmalines. This alluring bubblegum pink colour is made even more dramatic by its stunning crystal from, like the cut faces on a giant faceted gemstone. To add to its fascination, some faces are perfectly transparent, like windows, but with magical internal flashes from small inclusions, whilst around the edges its faces are uniformly frosted. Another feature of Morganite is its squat, compact crystal habit compared with other varieties of Beryl such as Aquamarine or Emerald. This crystal is missing part of its rear alongside where it is attached to a small piece of matrix, and has had restoration work done on at least one of its front faces, but the results speak for themselves. This is a world-class Morganite on so many levels, and has so much more intensity in colour compared with the more common Morganites from Brazil. It might not be the largest crystal by any means, but the combination of gem quality clarity, immense colour, perfection of the main display faces, and large size for Afghanistan make it a killer.
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