AQUAMARINE
Specimen aqu-14
$ 150.00Dims: 4.1" x 3.4" x 1.8" (10.4 x 8.6 x 4.6 cm)
Wt: 15.0 oz. (424 g)
NAGAR, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan
Upon first glance, this specimen appears to consist of a mass of muscovite crystals upon which rest several crystals of Aquamarine. These Aqua crystals range in size from 0.4" (1.0 cm) long and 0.2" (0.5 cm) in diameter to 0.8 x 0.5" (2.0 x 1.3 cm). All have excellent hexagonal prismatic form and basal terminations that are sometimes truncated by secondary faces- one of the crystals is double-terminated. Nearly all of the crystals show some minor damage, and one or two are obviously broken. However, they are generally in good condition, and their edges are well-defined and their faces are quite smooth, accentuating their vitreous luster. All have a very pale blue-green color and are transparent, and they range from being almost cloudy with inclusoions to being very clear; the smaller crystals are generally the clearest on this piece. They rest among hundreds of small muscovite crystals that show considerable damage but have very good hexagonal tabular form. On the specimen's underside, where it was separated from its place of origin, one can see what appears to be a finely-grained massive albite host rock that is intermixed with equally fine bits of muscovite. It seems, however, that most of the specimen's mass is made up of the larger muscovite crystals and the Aquamarines.