Aquamarine with Quartz (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

This locality has produced some of the most distinctive and signature specimens from China. The unique Beryl crystals are instantly recognizable, and are a certainly a favorite among collectors and dealers alike. This showy miniature features a broad and fairly thick, tabular, soft blue color, gemmy hexagonal Aquamarine crystal with a solitary GEM quality, colorless prismatic Quartz flaring out of the top. The piece immediately evokes the "sword in the stone" in my mind. The quality of the Aquamarine is excellent with nearly WATER CLEAR transparency in areas, and the Quartz is about as fine as the species gets in terms of luster, sharpness and GEM clarity. Tabular Aquamarine crystals are rare, but the best Aquas from Xuebaoding are absolutely superb quality like this piece. The piece sits and displays beautifully on its own without the aid of a base or clay. HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH, but BETTER IN PERSON. Valued at $1,200. Ex Dr. Steven Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/labels.asp?colid=671&page=1 ) or on Wikipedia.