DID SOMEONE SAY ITS AQUA WEEK? In the 1990s, vividly-hued Beryl Var. Aquamarine starting coming out of Vietnam. Almost all of the crystals from those finds were of gem-quality, and had exceptional highly-saturated color (Aquamarine owes its color to trace amounts of Iron within its crystal structure.) Other gem pockets were discovered, and the newer finds produced large crystals up to 30 cm with unusual growth habits. These slightly-etched, tabular crystals had the signature intense blue color, but also demonstrated parallel growth, with many of the crystals even being sceptered. Lets hope more exciting discoveries are to be made in this developing gemstone region! Beryl Var. Aquamarine as shown, 10 cm, Thuong Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. Courtesy of the 2014 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. Fleischer Museum Digital Imaging Archive photo.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 19:47:50 +0000
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