Beryl (var. Aquamarine)

Aquamarine crystals from the Sawtooth Mountains are exceptionally uncommon, and specimens of this size are rarely seen on the mineral market. Most crystals from this locality tend to be heavily etched, but this piece is notably unetched. It’s most likely a fragment of a larger hexagonal crystal that split along the c-axis and naturally rehealed, but could possibly have formed in this elongated, slender habit from the start—not sure, but either way, it’s highly unusual for the locality. The crystal is translucent with a soft ice-blue colour. The tip shows a clear zone and is well-terminated. The crystal has one prominent face on the front and multiple faces on the back. The base shows cleavage where it was removed from the original matrix, and there is a fracture near the lower-centre that has been reattached with glue. Overall, this is a highly lustrous aquamarine with rich colour from one of the more obscure localities for the species. It was probably collected in the 1970s-80s and was purchased from the University of British Columbia (UBC) Geological Museum in the mid to late 1980s. Specimens like this are seldom seen on the market today, and is a true American collector’s piece.