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Download hereThis sample of aquamarina is of great purity and biterminated: on one side (on the right of the photograph), one observes a termination with a dozen "depolished" facets but the summit facet is transparent.
On the other side ( left on the photograph), one observes an other termination, much planer, made up of an infinity of very small , barely visible, facets. The first termination corresponds to a crystallization, whereas the second is the more complex result of a crystallization and dissolution process.
On this floating gemmeous crystal (i.e., a crystal without matrix), the presence of two gemmeous garnet crystals spessartite (cf detail 1) represents a typical paragenesis from Pakistan but rarely expressed in such a perfect way.
This sample, acquired in 2007, is kept in the storage rooms of the collections of the Muséum national d'Hitstoire naturelle (i.e., not yet displayed to the public).
One can observe on the 3D view the two terminations of the monocrystal of aquamarina.
Photography and 3D view: A. Dahmane / Photo Saint-Hilaire, © MNHN.
SPECIE : Beryl
VARIETY :Aquamarina
HISTORY : Name inspired by the Greek word "βερυλλοσ" [beryllos] that designed precious stones having the color of seawater
Word used in 77 by Caius Plinius Secundus better known as Pliny the Elder (AD 23 – August 24, AD 79), an ancient author, naturalist and naval and military commander
Type-locality: undefined because species already known by the Ancients
ANCIENT NAME : Béril
CHEMICAL FORMULA : Be3 Al2 Si6O18
CRYSTAL SYSTEM : Hexagonal
COLOR : Colourless, white, green, yellow, pink, red, blue
DIAPHANIETY : Transparent to translucent
LUSTER : Vitreous
STREAK : White
MORPHOLOGY : Prismatic crystals, hexagonal, forming aggregates, massive
HARDNESS : 7,5-8,0
DENSITY : 2,64
CHEMICAL CLASS : IX - Silicates
GROUP : Beryl
STRUNZ CLASS BEFORE 2001 : 8/E.12-10
STRUNZ CLASS AFTER 2001 : 9.CJ.05
