Detailed information
Species
Beryl, var. Emerald, Biotite
Dimensions
55 x 75 x 44
mm
Weight
218 g
Locality
Rio Maria III Mine Gilé, Gilé District Zambezia Province, Mozambique
Condition
No recorded repairs
It is not often that you see a good Emerald specimen from Africa. This small cabinet specimen is from Rio Maria III mine in Zambezia Province, Mozambique and is a really nice display quality specimen. The Beryl, var. Emerald, occurs as aligned prismatic crystals within mica (Biotite/Phlogopite) schist. The largest Emerald crystal is 1.9 cm in length, glossy, and a fine mid emerald-green colour. Other smaller crystals along the same side of the specimen are smaller, but show similar colour with a resinous lustre. The matrix contains much more Beryl, but on the other sides of the specimen the broken surfaces of the Beryl are a very pale green - still technically Emerald, but heavily fractured. The contrast between green glossy Emerald and black mica presents very well.