Beryl

A beautiful tabular, blue tinted colourless Beryl crystal measuring 3.5 x 2.7 x 1.2 cm on a matrix of Albite feldspar and Muscovite mica, from the tungsten-tin-beryllium deposit at Pingwu on Mount Xuebaoding, Sichuan Province, China.  The Beryl crystal, along with a number of smaller tabular crystals scattered over the matrix, has complex modified prism faces, a highly reflective glassy lustre and is transparent to gemmy.  The Muscovite forms rich druses of hexagonal crystals between the Beryl and well crystallised creamy-white Albite.  A great Beryl, variety Goshenite, from Pingwu.