Gem: Aquamarine
Weight: 3.06 grams
Dimensions: 43.5 x 7.2 x 5.45
Clarity: N/A - Extraordinarily gemmy and medium-deep blue to boot!
Origin: Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, USA
Treatments: None
Comments:
These aquamarine crystals are an American classic! It's some of the best aquamarine in all of North America for quaity and color.
These crystals make it to market so seldomly that a lot of people don't even know they exist. Material is incredibly sought after, and examples of any kind do not come up for sale very often.
Every 20 to 30 years, it seems like, a fresh, small supply makes it to market, and then in between finds, the only pieces available are ones that come out of collections sporadically.
One of the rarest American gems, and they look exactly like the rugged terrain they come from - Many are etched into jagged patterns, much like the sawtooth mountains themselves. They have amazing, deep color, and top-notch gemminess, so the 'rugged' crystal form is a nice contrast. Each crystal is unique, and this one does not disappoint.
It is double terminated, with a 'feathered' termination at one end, where it likely was attached to weathering granite matrix, and the other end is extra gemmy, and shows off a jagged, etched termination.
This piece has a bit of an etched pocket about 3/4 of the way to the top termination, where it shows some very cool microcrystalline pocketing.
I can hardly stop looking at this beautiful American Alpine gem.
Don't sleep on this one!! I keep thinking I may add it to my personal collection.