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Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan
https://www.gemologyonline.com/Forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=25416
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Author:  Barbra Voltaire, FGG [ Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

Dr. Rossman and Brendan Laurs recently reported on unusual dark blue beryl from Pakistan:
Gem-A Volume 36, No.7 wrote:
Image

Author:  Stephen Challener [ Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

I saw a few samples of this at Tucson this year. They were calling it a color change beryl because of strong pleochroism (green through the side). Really impressive stuff, though certainly not cheap.

Author:  Barbra Voltaire, FGG [ Sat Oct 26, 2019 2:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

Meg Berry purchased some in Tucson and provided George Rossman with some samples for analysis.
It was determined that the blue beryl is very rich in iron: Fe 2.5-3.6 weight %. In addition to iron, relatively high levels of Cs (1.5-2.3 wt.%). In addition traces of Mn, Rb, S, Zn, Cu, Ga, Ni and V.

I would like to read a report on the geology of the area in which this beryl was found.
Shengus-Dassu and Chumar Bakhoor areas of the Gilgit-Baltistan.

Say those locals 3 times fast.

Author:  Faceting 101 by Arya [ Tue Nov 12, 2019 7:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

That's an absolutely ridiculous amount of Fe and Cs.

Author:  Barbra Voltaire, FGG [ Tue Nov 12, 2019 10:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

Agreed.

Author:  Stephen Challener [ Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

The iron is very high, but high Cs beryl isn't super super unusual. Pezzottaite is around 14 wt% so there is still a fair amount of wiggle room there. I wonder if any of the other elements are helping the color along? Probably not, but it is pretty impressive looking stuff

Author:  Nick_G [ Wed Jul 19, 2023 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

Ressurecting an old thread. but I picked up a specimen on eBay labelled as "Unknown Top Blue Crystals Bunch On Matrix". The crystals were dark blue and were obviously hexagonal. It looked intriguing, so I took a punt on it, suspecting apatite or maybe beryl. The specimen arrived yesterday, and a quick hardness check showed that the dark blue crystals easily scratch glass, so they are beryl. Here's a pic from the auction:

Image

The seller says it's from Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan, but I'm not convinced. A friend of mine I was chatting to in Instagram says he has never seen any beryls like that from that part of the world. I suspect it may be from Pakistan. There's a seller on Etsy with a parcel of dark blue beryl crystals, some with matrix attached. Although they are individual small thumbnail specimens, they look similar to this specimen. According to him they are from the 'Shalman Mine' in Pakistan. Shalman itself is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the same province that the specimens featured in the Journal Of Gemmology are from, and which feature in the first post of this thread. I'm therefore wondering if this specimen is geologically related.

Has anyone heard of a new dark blue beryl find in Pakistan recently? Is the 'Shalman Mine' the same location as the mine the etched specimens above were found?

Or maybe I'm completely wrong and this specimen IS from Afghanistan. It's certainly an intriguing puzzle. If anyone here can help it would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Author:  Mohmand [ Sat Jul 29, 2023 11:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

Some similar Beryl pieces from the Shalman mine in KP

Attachments:
Shalman III.jpg
Shalman III.jpg [ 104.53 KiB | Viewed 2638 times ]
Shalman II.jpg
Shalman II.jpg [ 95.2 KiB | Viewed 2638 times ]
Shalman I.jpg
Shalman I.jpg [ 154.41 KiB | Viewed 2638 times ]
Shalman.jpg
Shalman.jpg [ 124.62 KiB | Viewed 2638 times ]

Author:  Nick_G [ Sun Jul 30, 2023 4:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

Mohmand wrote:
Some similar Beryl pieces from the Shalman mine in KP


Hi Mohmand. Yes those were the crystals I saw online.

However, since chatting to the guy who is involved with the dark blue beryl mine in KPK province, and after taking the specimen to a gem & mineral show yesterday, it does indeed appear to be from a new find of dark blue beryl in Badakhshan province in Afghanistan. If the dark blue colour is due to unusually high levels of Fe, than it may be similar to dark blue beryl found in Yukon, Canada.

Author:  Mohmand [ Mon Jul 31, 2023 12:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

Nick, not sure about this beryl coming from Badakhshan. I know of dark corundum (Sapphire) finds from that place, but not of Beryl. The seller in possession of the Beryl that I mentioned says its from Shalman mine, KP.

Anyways, its indeed a unique sort of Beryl given that nothing like these have been found in Afghanistan or Pakistan before.

Author:  Nick_G [ Mon Jul 31, 2023 12:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

Mohmand wrote:
Nick, not sure about this beryl coming from Badakhshan. I know of dark corundum (Sapphire) finds from that place, but not of Beryl. The seller in possession of the Beryl that I mentioned says its from Shalman mine, KP.

Anyways, its indeed a unique sort of Beryl given that nothing like these have been found in Afghanistan or Pakistan before.


I messaged Mohammed Raza, from Gems Parlor, who is involved with the deep blue aquamarine mine that is mentioned in the GIA article, and he says that this new find is in Badakhshan.

I received a second sample today, and the crystals are a purer blue than the other specimen, as there is less iron staining in them:
Image

Author:  Mohmand [ Tue Aug 01, 2023 1:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Dark Blue Beryl from Pakistan

Thanks for the info Nick. I'll share such samples if they come from Shalman mines, aside from the ones coming from Afghanistan

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