Emerald from Xinjiang, Daftar

We may never uncover the secrets behind many legendary finds in the gem and mineral world, but one thing is certain: every extraordinary specimen carries a tale of luck, perseverance, and risk far weightier than the rock itself. Emeralds captivate collectors, and locality matters. Renowned sources like Columbia, has long dominated the stage, China did not, until the early 2000s, when fine emerald crystals began to emerge from Davdar in Xinjiang Province. The exact date of discovery remains shrouded in secrecy: most early stones found their way to Peshawar markets and, because of their similar looking and geographically close, were often misidentified as Panjshir or Swat gems.

The geological origin of Davdar emeralds remains elusive. Emerald formation requires beryllium-rich fluids to form beryl and chromium and vanadium for its signature green hue, elements that rarely coincide unless the regional geology is unique. In Davdar, emeralds occur in quartz–carbonate veins hosted by upper greenschist–grade Permian metasedimentary rocks. Although the primary beryllium source is hidden—perhaps in a buried granite intrusion, nearby basaltic dikes likely supply the chromium and vanadium. Alternatively, Davdar may share a sedimentary-type genesis similar to Colombia, with beryllium leached from host rock and chromium and vanadium trapped by shales (please see cinnabar post).

This is my second Davdar emerald (the first is a TN; see earlier post), acquired through an auction, from a gem-crystal collector who was told it originated in Afghanistan during an early 2000s trip in Peshawar. However, the unmatched matrix and color told me it is Davdar, revealed its true Xinjiang provenance, a fact later confirmed by a friend who mined Davdar emeralds for years. As far as I know, this is one of the largest crystals (4.5cm), shows intense green, partial gemmy, and no blue hue.

Emerald, 6.8cm, xl 4.5cm, Davdar (Daftar), Tashiku'ergan Co., Kashi Prefecture, Xinjiang, China

Jingnan (Tom) Zhang Coll & Photo