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Mineral Specimens with Beryl
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17.0 x 13.8 x 4.4 cm. An unusual locality piece from this mine chiefly known for its quartz, and rather small in size. This specimen hosts 3 beryl crystals. The upper one is a gemmy, pale pink morganite, 3 cm across, showing its full window-like hexagonal face to the viewer. A larger, barrel-shaped crystal of 3.5 cm is at the midpoint of the specimen. These both have a pale pink color. The hexagonal crystal smack in the middle is more colorless, and could be called a goshenite. Unusual locality piece. Ex. William Larson Collection.
5.2 x 3.8 x 3.1 cm. A beautiful, very glassy, gemmy aquamarine crystal from this small claim. At 86 grams, we are confident that this is one of the larger and finer aquamarines recovered from the locality. It always held a valued place in the collection, certainly. The crystal has a small bit of albite attached in back, and some contact along the left side, but is undamaged otherwise. For San Diego, where aquamarine is rare, this is a significant crystal. Ex. William Larson Collection.
11.7 x 9.7 x 4.4 cm. At 671 grams, this translucent, very richly-colored pink morganite is certainly among the larger single morganite crystals to come from the county as a whole. It is visually impressive, and very colorful for a morganite from any US locale, for that matter. It is a floater, completely terminated on much of the backside if admittedly rough in texture there. What is more important than the size and obvious color appeal is to realize that it is a very rare survivor from the era in which morganite was named in honor of his patron J.P. Morgan, by the great gemologist Kunz. He was at the time working for Tiffany on location in San Diego, and buying up the various gem crystals produced by the Himalaya. Bill Larson thinks this came out prior to 1910. It was one of two famous specimens bequeathed to Cal Tech by the wealthy collector and industrialist T.W. Warner, Jr. from his personal collection (regarded at the time as the single most significant San Diego collection assembled in the era). Bill Larson had told me that although he knew of one better, and a rumor of another, this was always the best Himalaya mine morganite he could go after and in the end, obtained it by exchange. He regarded it as a core specimen in the collection, not just for the color, but even more for its historic import to the mine and the species. Ex. William Larson, California Institute of Technology, and Warner Collections.
18.2 x 11.8 x 11.4 cm. This several-kilogram specimen has a huge 9 x 8 x 7.5 cm morganite crystal perched atop a matrix of quartz and cleavelandite. It is a very impressive large and dramatic county piece and was a cornerstone of the Larson/Pala collection case. The thing glows with color more intense than any other San Diego morganite I have seen in person, especially when backlit. When found, it was the size of a basketball and it remained so for nearly 70 years until now, reduced to a more manageable size by trimming. Even ungainly large and untrimmed/uncleaned, it was a prized specimen in several major collections and a museum. This specimen was piece #2 in the collection of Arch Oboler, a major Los Angeles area collector of the early-1900s who was a writer for radio shows like the Shadow; and built a collection of uniformly fine and important specimens. You can read more about him at this link on the Mineralogical Record Archives: http://www.mineralogicalrecord.com/labels.asp?colid=791. Today, very few documented specimens from this private collection turn up on the market. His collection was sold to the famous dealer Martin Ehrmann in 1968, who sold it to Marion Stuart, the heiress to the Carnation milk fortune (her rather early number, 358, shown on her card). She owned the piece for over 30 years, until about 2001 when the collection was sold to Wayne Thompson. During that time, it was on long-term loan as a display specimen to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. When the collection sold, it was one of Larson's first choices and went immediately into his own San Diego County collection. Thus in what is probably over 60 years since it was mined it has had only 3 owners and been in a museum for some chunk of that time, as well.
7.0 x 5.7 x 3.7 cm. This is a fine small cabinet with extremely good aesthetics that is an old specimen actually pictured in the mainstream art book: Tiffany - 150 years of gems and jewelry. The crystals have the typical matte finish on upper faces and glassy, gemmy windows into the hexagonal faces. The major crystal is 3.7 x 2.5 x 2 cm in size, and is so gemmy you can see right through it to the albite underneath. Few are so bright, internally. In fact, the matrix of crystallized albite is also sparkling and bright, making for good contrast. Nearly pristine, this major crystal has just one ding on a back face. This is not the typical pale pink, but a rather richly hued crystal for the locality. Massive morganite underlies the whole specimen, which can be seen from the bottom. A superb, rare locality specimen from one of the most important finds in the county. Mined by Norm Dawson in the 1960's, this was sold to Dr. Gerald Clark's collection. In the 1980's. Gerry retired and moved to Fallbrook where he teased Bill Larson with this specimen. When Tiffany had their 150th anniversary, Peter Schneirla of that company borrowed several of Bill Larson's important gem crystal pieces from the historic county mines for 6 months display at the Tiffany's headquarters in NYC, and several pieces were shown in their commemorative book to link the company to the historic gem mining of San Diego and the naming of the species Kunzite and Morganite from the region. Ex. William Larson Collection.
4.1 x 3.2 x 2.3 cm. Two gemmy, gorgeous pink morganite crystals from the Barra de Salinas pegmatites of Brazil. The beautiful, tabular crystals have very complex termination faces and the large crystal is very nicely accented with green tourmalines. Ex. Michael Jactat Collection, a French dealer and collector, who was active in Brazil and collected fine miniatures for his own collection. These are not common at all, from Barra de Salinas.
6.5 x 3.8 x 3.3 cm. The classic locality of Val Vigezzo in Italy is one of the more unique localities in the European Alps. It’s an interesting pegmatite locality that is most well known for its Emerald specimens, but it also produces Zeolites, metallic oxides and even rare-earth species. This piece is a classic Val Vigezzo Emerald featuring a prismatic, light green, hexagonal crystal measuring 7 mm on matrix. Ex. Brian Kosnar Collection.
4.4 x 2.5 x 2.0 cm. A classic rich greenish-yellow color, gem quality, lustrous, pristine crystal of Heliodor Beryl from the famous discovery in the Ukraine in the 1980s. This locality is world renowned for these highly sought after and admired Heliodor specimens. The classic color, etching, and unique appearance make them a staple of any gem crystal collection. These specimens are rarely seen on the market today, and a stout crystal such as this with such excellent gemminess is certainly desirable. Ex. Richard Kosnar Collection.
8.0 x 1.4 x 1.0 cm. When it comes to Aquamarine, Pakistan is the most productive country for specimens in the modern age of mineral collecting. Some of the very finest quality Aquamarine specimens come from the various pegmatites in the Pakistani Himalayas, especially in the Shigar Valley. This crystal is a very good quality, sharp, gem quality "pencil" with good glassy luster and a soft blue color. A few accenting Muscovite crystals and one red Spessartine crystal make for a great association specimen from this world famous locality.
6.0 x 5.6 x 3.7 cm. Long before the California pegmatites had been discovered, the pegmatites of central Connecticut produced the best beryls and tourmalines in the U.S. This matrix beryl var. morganite, is doubly terminated, translucent, and a pastel pink color. The morganite measures 5.0 cm in length. Though not gemmy, this is a significant specimen. Ex. George Elling Collection.
9.8 x 6.3 x 4.7 cm. A vivid, gemmy, blue, 3.3 x 1.3 x 0.9 cm aquamarine is here perched in massive quartz matrix. This specimen is a beautiful piece of extremely high quality for a Maine aquamarine – since most from this region are opaque or pale, or both. Here, however, is a piece with areas so gemmy you can cut stones out of, and it is a terminated crystal no less. This specimen was collected by Cliff Trebilcock in 1995 and sold to Robert Whitmore in 2001. Ex. Robert Whitmore and CLiff Trebilcock Collections.
3.8 x 0.9 x 0.6 cm. A stunningly gemmy, intense blue aquamarine from famous finds in the 1980s in this remote location. Idaho beryls are extremely rare to come by, and this crystal is an exceptional reward for the wait. It is terminated, though slightly etched atop. Ex. Robert Whitmore Collection.
3.2 x 1.8 x 1.6 cm. A limpid, clear, sculptural cluster of parallel-growth aquamarine crystals, from a remote find that came to market in the late 1980s as I recall (Bob bought or traded for this in 1989). This is an attractive miniature, complete all around except one fairly trivial little ding. We all thought a flood of pegmatite gems would come out of China, but time has proven this assumption wrong, and not much does come out in the way of gem crystals. Ex. Robert Whitmore Collection.
4.5 x 1.3 x 1.1 cm. A limpid, clear, doubly-terminated floater aquamarine, from a small find that came to market in the late 1980s and seems never to have been repeated. We all thought a flood of pegmatite gems would come out of China, but time has proven this assumption wrong, and not much does come out in the way of gem crystals. This is a gorgeous crystal, mimicking the style of crystals from Jacqueto in Brazil. Ex. Robert Whitmore Collection.
9.0 x 7.0 x 4.0 cm. This fine piece features two undamaged, pristine, fairly gemmy aquamarine crystals very aesthetically set in a well-trimmed matrix of pealescent muscovite. The large crystal is 6.5 cm tall and the smaller one 3.2 x 2.5 cm. Classic and typical material form Nagar, Pakistan.
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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share specimen![Beryl (Var: Morganite), Albite, Lepidolite from Katerina Mine (Katrina; Catherin; Caterina), Hiriart Mountain (Heriart; Heriot; Hiriat Hill), Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249628a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249628a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Aquamarine) from Audrey Lynn Mine, Little Cahuilla Mountain, Cahuilla, Cahuilla District, Riverside Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249662a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249662a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite) from Himalaya Mine (Himalaya pegmatite; Himalaya dikes), Gem Hill, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249663a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249663a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite) from Himalaya Mine (Himalaya pegmatite; Himalaya dikes), Gem Hill, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249663b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249663b.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite) from http://www.mineralogicalrecord.com/labels.asp?colid=791. [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249666a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249666a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite) from http://www.mineralogicalrecord.com/labels.asp?colid=791. [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249666b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249666b.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite) from http://www.mineralogicalrecord.com/labels.asp?colid=791. [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249666c.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249666c.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite), Albite (Var: Cleavelandite) from White Queen Mine, Hiriart Mountain (Heriart; Heriot; Hiriat Hill), Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249669a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249669a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite), Elbaite from Barra de Salinas district, Barra de Salinas, Coronel Murta, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250273a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250273a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite), Elbaite from Barra de Salinas district, Barra de Salinas, Coronel Murta, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250273b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250273b.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Emerald) from Pizzo Marcio, Trontano, Vigezzo Valley, Ossola Valley, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250331a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250331a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Emerald) from Pizzo Marcio, Trontano, Vigezzo Valley, Ossola Valley, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250331b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250331b.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Heliodor) from Volodarsk-Volynskii (Volodars'k-Volyns'kyy; Wolodarsk-Wolynskii), Zhytomyr Oblast' (Zhitomir Oblast'), Ukraine [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250336a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250336a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Aquamarine), Spessartine from Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250339a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250339a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Aquamarine), Spessartine from Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250339b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250339b.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite), Quartz, Muscovite from Gillette Quarry, Haddam Neck, Haddam, Middlesex Co., Connecticut, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250925a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250925a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Aquamarine), Quartz from Fisher Quarry, Topsham, Sagadahoc Co., Maine, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250937a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250937a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Aquamarine) from Sawtooth Batholith/Sawtooth Mts, Boise Co., Idaho, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250940a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250940a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Aquamarine) from Yunnan Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250942a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250942a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Aquamarine) from Yunnan Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-250949a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-250949a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Aquamarine), Muscovite from Nagar (Nagir), Hunza Valley, Gilgit District, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-251133a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-251133a.jpg)