Beryl (Var: Aquamarine), Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz)

Unknown Owner

Help improve this recordNo owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

This is a stunning old-timer from Russia, a large aquamarine crystal spiking through a crystal of smoky quartz (the quartz wrapped itself around the aqua). Though the aquamarine does have one repair with some restoration at the join, on the backside of the repair, it is otherwise complete and shows very little damage all around. One of its terminations has been retained as well. This is a big crystal, measuring 6.5 cm, and much of it is really gemmy, with fine saturated blue color. In addition to its being from Russia, the contrast with the smoky quartz makes it really special, compared to your usual Paki specimen. The accompanying collection card shows it to have moved form the Shortmann collection to Bentley's Minerals in 1974, which then sold it to collector John Durkos. From him it went to the George Elling collection of gem crystals. This is old material, perhaps even from the 1800s though one cannot prove it. Certainly, it is classic for old Russian beryl, rarely seen on matrix!