Beryl Var Emerald

A fine example of Emerald from the Swat Valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. The Emerald, a green variety of Beryl, forms two parallel intergrown hexagonal crystals to 2.5 cm long by 2.5 cm diameter of a vibrant chrome-emerald green with milky peppermint green pinacoids.  Their lustre varies from satin on the prism faces to matt on the pinacoids.  The two crystals sit aesthetically across a fine-grained, fawn coloured Micaceous matrix, occasionally shot through with minor black Schorl Tourmaline.  This Emerald deposit was only discovered in 1958 when farmers attending their goats came across green crystals on the hillside.  Why does this never occur on hills near where I live?  Specimens of such quality are seldom seen from this area, making this is a superb display piece with excellent colour.  The previous collector’s labels accompany the specimen.