BERYL VAR. AQUAMARINE ON SCHORL

ABOUT THE SPECIMEN

This distinctive style of beryl is a trademark of this Namibian region, coming from a 2000 find and characterized by crystals consisting mostly of goshenite (colorless) to heliodor (pale yellow), which are in turn capped off by light blue aquamarine terminations. The crystals here are scattered in all directions in jackstraw groupings, all embedded in a fine schorl matrix, with quartz and what may be fluorite off in the corner. It's an instantly recognizable style with its own distinct flair, and this one is a large and dynamic example.

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MORE INFO

The bi-colored beryl specimens from Bergsig Farm 167 occur within miarolitic cavities of highly evolved granitic pegmatites. The crystals form during late-stage pegmatite crystallization at temperatures between 300-400°C. Distinctive color zoning results from varying iron oxidation states during crystal growth, producing sharp boundaries between colorless to yellow (goshenite/heliodor) and blue-green (aquamarine) sections within single crystals. The specimens typically display well-developed hexagonal prismatic habits with dominant first-order prism faces and basal pinacoids. Crystal sizes range from 2-15cm in length. Associated minerals include smoky quartz, black tourmaline, and cleavelandite. These specimens represent a unique example of varying oxidation conditions during beryl crystallization within evolved pegmatitic systems, where fluctuating oxygen fugacity produces distinct color zones.