Beryl var. Aquamarine with Muscovite

A stunning large cabinet specimen of smoky sky-blue Aquamarine Beryl crystals embedded in a matrix of intermeshed plates of silvery-cream Muscovite mica. This show-stopping specimen is from Pingwu, also known as the Pingwu beryl mine, close to the township of Huya on Mount Xuebaoding in Sichuan Province, China. This interesting deposit is composed of over 40 veins crossing the southeast slope of Mount Xuebaoding which have been worked for tungsten, tin, beryllium and other such metals associated with injected pegmatites. The larger of the two crystals measures an impressive 7.8 x 6.5 x 4.4 cm and the smaller, 7.0 x 4.6 x 3.4 cm. Each forms a flattened hexagonal prism with modified edges but, naturally, because both crystals are surrounded by and embedded in muscovite, parts of them are hidden. The Aquamarine is translucent with many gemmy zones and has a mirror-smooth and bright reflective surface. A magnificent Chinese Aquamarine Beryl with Muscovite.