Aquamarine

At the time this came out in the mid-1990s, it was quickly made one of the most famous aquamarines around, for both the strong blue color saturation and the unlikely yet aesthetic perch upon a single porcelain-like feldspar crystal. Pakistan has produced so many aquamarine specimens since that time, many larger or more transparent, and yet this "Blue Pocket" of only a few pieces (of which this was the best) has stood the test of time in unique style. Wayne Thompson and Tahir Iqbal brought it out from the mines (as related in story and illustration in Wayne's book IKONS: Collecting Adventures). The deal was financed by collector Gene Meieran, in whose collection the piece remained for 30 years. The crystal stands so clearly and proudly tall, perfectly balanced on the sharp feldspar crystal, so sharply that it looks carved. Over the decades, this was one of the major Meieran pieces exhibited in his cases of beryls and aquamarines at various shows (Munich, Tucson, Denver), and in the Tucson, Arizona Museum.