Aquamarine with Muscovite

Description

Broad pale blue to icy-green Aquamarine crystals sit among layered, cream-coloured Muscovite. The prominent horizontal Aquamarine crystal contrasts with the rosette-like mica, giving this substantial cabinet specimen a balanced display face and plenty of natural detail.

Locality supplied: Mount Xuebaoding, Pingwu County, Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China.

The Aquamarine shows translucent areas, internal reflections and natural surface features. The Muscovite creates layered texture around the Beryl.

You will receive the exact specimen shown, with the custom display stand included.

The recorded Muscovite association adds a second crystal habit to the piece. Mica forms layered sheets and blades, with a softer pearly reflection than many larger glassy crystals. Its overlapping growth provides both a setting and a visual contrast, so the matrix is part of the specimen’s character rather than simply a support.

The Muscovite association is part of the specimen’s visual character. Its layered mica plates produce pearly reflections and a different texture to the main crystals. The edges and overlapping sheets give the matrix detail of its own. This allows the piece to be appreciated as a natural mineral association, with both the featured crystals and their surrounding growth contributing to the display.

Aquamarine is the blue to blue-green variety of Beryl, a beryllium aluminium silicate. Beryl crystallises in the hexagonal system, often producing elongated prisms with recognisable straight-sided outlines. Aquamarine’s colour and clarity can vary considerably, so a natural collector specimen is assessed for its crystal form and setting as well as the depth of its blue.

A matrix specimen preserves the relationship between the Beryl crystal and the material around it. That setting adds geological interest beyond an isolated crystal: the contact areas, orientation and contrast with accompanying minerals become part of the display. Transparency and reflected light also contribute differently, so a pale crystal can still show a well-defined and attractive natural form.

The recorded origin is Mount Xuebaoding, Pingwu County, Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. Within a collection of Aquamarine specimens, this locality gives the piece a geographical identity alongside its particular crystal habit and natural setting.

The specimen measures 14 × 8 × 7.5 cm, with a recorded weight of 1.073 kg. Its scale gives the natural architecture room to be appreciated as a whole, while the finer growth provides detail for closer study.

Support the stable matrix or the supplied mount when moving the specimen, avoiding pressure on projecting growth. A secure indoor display allows its natural form and surface detail to be appreciated while protecting exposed crystal edges.