Tourmalinated Aquamarine

Gorgeous and soft blue aquamarine with black tourmaline inside and outside the crystal.  The striking contrast of the 2 rich colors are very appealing, and the excellent luster and clarity shows this off.  The aquamarine crystal is quite large and translucent, so it makes quite a statement.  Acquired Denver, 2024.  Fram Skardu, Pakistan.
 
We recommend mounting this with putty on the Medium Acrylic Base as pictured, both included with purchase.
 
Aquamarine has been collected, cut, and treasured for millenia.  It is a blue variety of the mineral Beryl, with the color caused by iron occurring in the crystal lattice. Known for its hardness and durability, aquamarine is well-suited for both jewelry and collecting.  Most collectable specimens come from Skardu Valley in Pakistan, but can also be from Colorado, Brazil, Vietnam, and China.  The examples from Skardu have excellent potential and production, from single crystals to multi-mineral specimens.  The most common mineral you find associated with the Skardu Valley aquamarines is muscovite, with with stepped sprays of isolated aquamarine crystals typically resting on a bed of muscovite that coats the face of the matrix.  
 
The hexagonal, 6 sided prism identifies them for beryl, with the flat looking termination almost always present.  It is rarer for the angled termination faces to be elongated.