Gem: Rhode Island Heliodor
Weight: 0.10 ct.
Dimensions: 2.95 x 2.4 mm
Clarity: VS - some very fine silk (enhances brightness) and a few very hard to see inclusions. Shows as eye clean
Origin: Narragansett, Rhode Island
Discovered by: Scott Maier and John Sassi 2009
Mined by: Scott Maier
Faceted by: Scott Maier
Treatments: none
Comments:
in 2009 my then-mining-partner and I scoured a coastline in search of beryl, which he seemed to know about from old literature that was beyond my scope at that time (I was new to prospecting for crystals) - But eventually, slowly, we scoured a long strech of coastline and actually FOUND a workable deposit of beryl -- it was the the FIRST discovery of beryl besides archaic references, and a single crystal recovered from a road cut during modern road workings.
We mined several days a week sometimes, extracting small green and yellow crystals. They were cool, but mostly they were pretty crusty. Occasionally there was a translucent piece, or a well formed, cab-grade crystal would come out.. but there was NO gem rough found. There were just 2 cabochons ever made, and although they are quite good for what they are, THIS gem in the listing is the first piece of true facet rough (and then gemstone) to come out of the whole haul.
Beryl has been discovered in at least one other place in Rhode Island since then, but I believe it is mostly a similar grade to what we found in 2009.
This incredibly bright gem is the pinnacle of the whole find. It's definitely small, but it's inarguably a clean heliodor gem, with clear performance and pattern from the pavillion.
With color and brightness similar to chrysoberyl, this is a small gem that actually performs. I faceted it myself in PERFECT proportions, and with perfect meet-points and polish, as well. I took my time, and made a gemstone worthy of the title of Rhode Island's ONLY beryl gemstone ever to be made! It's not likely that another Rhode Island beryl will exist, unless a new, very special deposit is discovered.