Beryl var: Aquamarine

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Aquamarine
A variety of Beryl Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈ Hexagonal

Aquamarine, 18,3cm tall. Haramosh Mountains, Pakistan	© Rob Lavinsky

Aquamarine derives its name from the Latin name Aqua Marina, meaning "Sea Water", because of it's splendid blue colour.
The colour can come in many shades of blue; light blue, deep blue, green-blue, and many shades in between. The colour is caused by trivalent Iron (Fe³⁺) and/or divalent Iron (Fe²⁺) occupying different positions in the lattice structure.
The habit of Aquamarine varies from needles through elongated prisms to tabular habits. Crystals can be found free-standing in vugs or embedded in host rock, sometimes as parallel grown or radial aggregates.
Aquamarines can be found in pegmatite occurrences, Alpine-type clefts, pneumatolythic occurrences and alluvial gem gravels.
The size of the crystals ranges from micro crystals of less then a mm, up to crystals in excess of 100kg. The largest cut gems weigh over a 1000ct.



Aquamarine
Afghanistan
Konar Province, Chapa Dara District, Dara-i-Pech pegmatite field

Aquamarine 4,4cm	© Russell G. Rizzo

Be-Nb-Ta-Li-rich pegmatites, hosted in a variety of lithologies. There are two types of pegmatites found within the ore field: (1) large albitized microcline pegmatites with beryl, and (2) spodumene-albite pegmatites with complex Li-Be mineralization.

Pech, Peech and Dara-i-Pech (also spelled Darra-i-Pech, Darrah Pech, and sometimes Page) are the same place. "Dara" means "valley", so in English the location name is "Pech Valley". Likewise, specimens labelled as coming from Dara-i-Pech do not necessarily come from this pegmatite field, but may originate from any place in the Pech valley. This area icludes Chapa Dara, Dara-i-Pech, Wata Pur and Asadabad Districts in Konar Province, as well as Wama District in Nuristan Province.
Further note that many Afghanis will still use the name "Nuristan" in a traditional sense, to mean all of northeastern Afghanistan. This traditional meaning of the place name "Nuristan" is not to be confused with the current Nuristan Province, which covers only a portion of "Nuristan" in the traditional sense. Moreover, there also exists a Nuristan District, which covers a minor part of southern Nuristan Province.


Aquamarine
Afghanistan
Laghman Province (Lagman Province; Nuristan)

Aquamarine 3,2cm	© 2003 John H. Betts

NOTE: Nuristan province sensu stricto became officially recognised in 2001 (wikipedia) or 2004 (statoids.com), but was already known for 10 years. It was formed from the northern parts of Laghman Province and Konar (Kunar) Province.
The capital of the Nuristan Province is Nuristan.
"Nuristan" is also the traditional name for the region that encompasses these three current provinces (i.e., NE Afghanistan) and the name is still often used in that fashion.


Aquamarine
Argentina
Córdoba, Dumesnil, La Esperanza Quarry

Aqua, 3,6cm	© Rob Lavinsky

Locality for nice etched Aquamarine crystals.


Aquamarine
Australia
New South Wales, Clive Co., Torrington

Aquamarine, 3,8cm	© Jon Mommers

There are over 35 Beryl occurrences in Torrington-Emmaville districts of the New England region, and many fine Beryl specimens have been mined since its discovery in the 1890's (whilst prospecting for tin, bismuth and tungsten).
Beryl crystals up to 30cm have been found, sometimes in excellent quality.


Aquamarine
Australia
Northern Territory, Harts Ranges (Hartz Ranges), Harding Springs

Aquamarine, 6cm	© Patrick Gundersen

Pegmatite district, with pegmatites originally mined for mica. Beryl crystals over 30cm in length have been reported.


Aquamarine
Austria
Carinthia, Hohe Tauern, Reißeck group, Pusarnitz, Hintereggengraben

Aquamarine xls 0,5cm	© Rudo

The mountain ridge between Böser Nase and Hochegg in Hintereggengraben which has become famous because of its excellent Sceptre Quartzes is also known as location for nice Aquamarine crystals. The numerous alpine clefts in that region mostly produce Smoky Quartz together with black Tourmaline needles. Sometimes but very rarely a cleft also has some tiny Aquamarine crystals that are often not seen by the collectors.


Aquamarine
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Felben valley, Scheelite deposit, Western ore field

Aquamarine, 1,97cm	© mslama

Scheelite deposit, currently mined underground. Strikingly deep blue Aquamarines have been found, usually accompanied by Molybdenite and Scheelite.


Aquamarine
Austria
Salzburg, Hohe Tauern Mts, Hollersbach and Habach valleys, Schafkopf/Breitkopf Mts area

Aquamarine, 1cm	© Harjo

Aquamarine in clefts in Gneisses, or Aquamarine in masses of smoky Quartz veins.


Aquamarine
Brazil
Bahia, Guaratinga (Jaquetô)

Aquamarine, 1,5cm	© Kristalle and Crys

Aquamarine, 18cm	© Rob Lavinsky

In 1990 a pocket was found containing approximately 100kg of very fine blue-green crystals, showing negative corrosion patterns, and with pencil like terminations [Luiz A. Menezes, ExtraLapis Beryl]


Aquamarine
Brazil
Espírito Santo, Mimoso do Sul, Mimoso do Sul Mine

Specimen 4,8cm	© fabreminerals.com

Concordia mine exploits the main pegmatite. In 1990 very nice single crystals and excellent clusters composed of tapered prisms.


Aquamarine
Brazil
Minas Gerais, Doce Valley

Aquamarine 7cm	© Russell G. Rizzo

Aqua 8,4cm	© Weinrich Minerals, Inc.

Several pegmatites have produced large Beryl crystals, sometimes with water-clear "eyes" inside of them. In 1992 an Aquamarine crystal measuring 1x0,5 meters, weighing 400kg, showing a perfect termination. It now resides in the Kanagawa Prefecture Museum in Tokyo, Japan. [Luiz A. Menezes, ExtraLapis Beryl]


Aquamarine
Brazil
Minas Gerais, Jequitinhonha valley

Aquamarine 5,5 and 7,6cm	© Kuno Stoeckli

Aquamarine 6cm	© 2003 John H. Betts

Aquamarine 4,5cm	© Joseph A. Freilich

Aqua 6,5cm	© fabreminerals.com

Aqua 4,7cm	© Danny Jones

The Serinha deposit has produced important quantities of gem grade Aquamarine. In 1998, a small unnamed pegmatite in the area produced some of the world's best Aquamarine crystals. Clear, blue prismatic crystals up to 30cm in length, with pencil-like terminations. [Luiz A. Menezes, ExtraLapis Beryl]


Aquamarine
Brazil
Minas Gerais, Medina

Aquamarine 5,2cm	© CCURTO08

Info:


Aquamarine
Brazil
Minas gerais, Mucuri valley, Teófilo Otoni

Aquamarine 5,3cm	© fabreminerals.com

Info:


Aquamarine
Burma (Myanmar)
Mandalay Division, Sagaing District, Mogok

Aquamarine 5,1cm	© Eric Graff

Info:


Aquamarine
China
Sichuan Province, Mianyang Prefecture, Pingwu Co., Mt Xuebaoding

Specimen 18,5x11cm	© Oleg Lopatkin

Specimen 3x3cm	© Sarah Sudcowsky

Specimen 5,x4,2cm	© Collectors Edge

Info:


Aquamarine
China
Yunnan Province, Nujiang Autonomous Prefecture, Gaoligong Mts (Gaoligong Shan)

Specimen 2,9x2,7cm	© Jiangbin

Highlands west of the Nu river (Nu Jiang) valley.
Located in northwestern Yunnan Province, close to the border to Myanmar (Burma).


Aquamarine
India
Tamil Nadu

Aquamarine 5cm	© Martins da Pedra

Info:


Aquamarine
Italy
Lombardy, Sondrio Province, Novate Mezzola, Codera Valley

Aquamarine 5cm	© Chinellato Matteo

Important Alpine locality for excellent Aquamarine crystals.


Aquamarine
Italy
Trentino-Alto Adige, Bolzano Province (South Tyrol), Vizze Valley (Pfitsch Valley), Griesferner glacier

Aquamarine 1cm	© Chinellato Matteo

Locality for Alpine cleft Aquamarine.


Aquamarine
Italy
Tuscany, Livorno Province, Elba Island, Campo nell'Elba, San Piero in Campo, Grotta d'Oggi Quarry

Aquamarine 2cm	© Sarah Sudcowsky

This is the old quarry from where a lot of the best elbaites and tourmalines from Isola Elba, Italy, have been recovered during the 19th century.
Located near a magnesite quarry, was opened in 1825.


Aquamarine
Italy
Tuscany, Lucca Province, Apuan Alps, Stazzema, Ponte Stazzemese, Buca della Vena Mine

Aquamarine 0,6cm	© Chinellato Matteo

The Buca della Vena mine was exploited for barite and Fe-oxides up to 1988. The mineralization is hosted within two carbonatic lenses of dolomitic metalimestones of Upper Triassic age (Grezzoni formation) and marble of Liassic age (Marble formation), interbedded with lenses of phyllites. The ore body and the hosted rocks show evidences of deformations which have been referred to a first compressive tectonic phase dating back 26 m.y.. Measured homogenization temperature in beryl crystals from the ore body ranged from 250° to 340° C, in good agreement with the metamorphic grade of the area (greenschist facies).
Carmignani et al. (1972, 1976) considered this deposit to be a metasomatic replacement of carbonate rocks, genetically connected to a hypothetical synkinematic intrusive body.
According to Cortecci et al. (1985), on the other hand, on the basis of isotope analysis of sulfates and sulfides, concluded that the deposit is sedimentary in origin and was subsequently metamorphosed and partly remobilized during the Tertiary Appenninic orogeny.


Aquamarine
Kazakhstan
Karagandy Province (Qaragandy Oblysy; Karaganda Oblast'), Ortau

Aquamarine 2,6cm	© Igor Savin

Info:


Aquamarine
Madagascar
Fianarantsoa Province, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Befotaka District

Aquamarine 7,7cm	© J.Scovil

Up to 7,7 cm x 4,1 cm gemmy beryl (variety aquamarine) crystals was reported in 2009 from an undisclosed pegmatite in the Befotaka district by Spirifer minerals.


Aquamarine
Mongolia
Hutag Ull Ord

Aquamarine 4,3cm	© Vitezslav Snasel

Be-pegmatites in northern Mongolia.


Aquamarine
Mozambique
Zambezia Province, Alto Ligonha District

Aquamarine 3cm	© Martins da Pedra

Nb-Ta pegmatite district.


Aquamarine
Namibia
Erongo Region, Erongo Mountain

5,7cm	©

7,8cm	© fabreminerals.com

12cm	© Kuno Stoeckli

6,1cm	© Rob Lavinsky

The Erongo is the largest of the late-mesozoic alkaline complexes of central-west Namibia. Situated on the fringes of the Namib Desert between Usakos and Omaruru, rising to 2319m and 40km diameter.
Very nice Aquamarine crystals have been found in the region, especially at Erongo Mountain, Davib East Farm, Klein Spitzkopje and Tubussis Farm. Also very nice combo specimens of Aquamarine with Schorl and sometimes Fluorite have been found.



Work in progress



Edited 95 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2012 04:11AM by Rudolf Hasler.

Harjo,
You have taken on a big project here. I wish you good fortune in its progress which I shall watch with interest.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Thanks Rock.
It will take some time, in between I still have to play some concerts, and next weekend I have CD recordings.
But every now and then I'll add some stuff to the article.

Cheers,

Harjo

Harjo:

There are some great aquamarines found in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, USA:


William C. (CHRIS) van Laer: "I'm using the chicken to measure it..."

HOLY SMOKES! Amazing. I wish I could contribute something comparable!
John



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2011 11:00PM by John Montgomery.

Here are three images of the new aquamarines from Huanggang Mine, Hexigten Banner (Keshiketeng Co.), Ulanhad League (Chifeng Prefecture), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

Unlike most other aquamarines which tend to be found in workings exploiting pegmatites, these come from an iron mine exploiting a skarn body. There have been a very small quantity of single crystals, usually double terminated, and most display lighter blue rinds with deeper blue cores (see third image). There have been an even smaller number of clusters, and I have only seen (but I have no pictures) about 2 matrix pieces, though the crystals tend to be very narrow, often broken, and are not much to look at....

Ibrahim,
At least one of those images will most likely make its way into the best minerals article, but you will have to first upload them officially to the Mindat Image gallery. Do you know how to do this? Would you like me to point you to some instructions that will explain how to do this in detail? Do you understand why this should be done rather than giving them here as just an attachment to a message?

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Bill, Ill bet Harjo will put at least one of your images into the article.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Of course!
As soon as I get to the USA section Chris' Sawtooth photos will get a prominent place.
I haven't had a lot of time to work on the article (too many concerts) but I think I can resume working on it halfway December.

Harjo,

Although the Aquamarine specimen is the smallest piece in my collection it is still one of my favorites. It is an alpine one that I collected in Hintereggengraben, Carinthia. With a length of 0,5cm the crystal is probably too small for your article but its color and terminations are so phantastic that I have to show it to you.

Rudolf
[www.mindat.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2012 05:01PM by Rudolf Hasler.

Rudolf,
We generally only use images that show the entire specimen. Also your aqua appears to be be taken with UV light? We would need a picture with regular lighting. Occasionally we will also use a UV image of the same specimen to accompany the one with regular light.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Rock,
I have taken a new picture of the aqua just now. I never use UV light. It is the real incredible color that makes that tiny piece to one of my favorites. Some years ago I was offered an unbelievable amount of money for such a tiny thing by a local collector.

Rudolf
[www.mindat.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2012 04:08PM by Rudolf Hasler.

Rudolf,
Ill leave it up to Harjo if he wants to use your beryl image in his article.

I put it into photoshop and lightened up the image some, but did not change the image you up loaded. Here is your image:


and here is the image that I lightened up in Photoshop.



I think the images I see on my monitor are darker than on other monitors. How do they look on your monitor. Which one looks better?

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Rock,
On my monitor the 1st (my) image looks better. I am not an expert on PCs at all but could it be that you have to adjust the color settings?

Rudolf

Na klar soll der drinne
It's already in the article. Beautiful find!

Danke, Harjo!
I am happy that you put that one into the article as it is a real favorite of me.
That it does not stand there alone I have added another pic and some information.
I hope you do not mind.



Grüße

Rudolf



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2012 04:16AM by Rudolf Hasler.