EMERALD
Specimen eme-8
$ 45.00Dims: 4.5" x 2.7" x 2.3" (11.4 x 6.9 x 5.8 cm)
Wt: 1 lb., 2.3 oz. (519 g)
Colombia
The black shale/limestone host rock of this specimen contains at least 10 visible pieces of Emerald crystal. All but one are broken, but the intact crystal is in excellent condition and is at least 40% exposed. It measures at least 0.5" (1.3 cm) long and 0.1" (0.3 cm) wide and is somewhat malformed, appearing not to have a hexagonal prismatic form. The visible portion of its termination consists of a single, steeply-angled face that has interesting curved striations. It has the classic emerald-green coloration and a vitreous luster, and shows considerable transparence but is far too heavily internally fractured for good clarity. It and the other Emerald portions rest in white calcite veins that run through the host rock. These veins also contain a substantial amount of crystalline pyrite. I suppose that one could either acid-bathe or abrade emerald-free areas to search for more within, but that sounds like it would be a lot of work, so it is probably best to enjoy what is visible on the specimen.