Specifications
Description
Locality: Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
The Shigar Valley, north of Skardu, is the gateway for most expeditions to K2, the world's second-highest peak, and one of the most important gem valleys of Baltistan. Its gemstones grow in pockets and cavities in zoned pegmatite dikes that cut the metamorphic rocks of the Karakoram, alongside topaz, green fluorite, black tourmaline, garnet, morganite and goshenite.
Aquamarine is the blue to blue-green variety of beryl, the mineral that also includes emerald and morganite. Beryl is a beryllium aluminium silicate, Be3Al2Si6O18, with a hardness of 7.5 to 8, and it most often forms in granites and granite pegmatites alongside quartz, feldspar and mica.
Geochemical studies suggest the Shigar pegmatites formed from the melting of metamorphosed sediments, with their emplacement linked to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. Aquamarine mining in the valley has a long record: a 1918 Geological Survey of India report described the aquamarine mines of Dassu on the Braldu River.
This one of a kind Aquamarine specimen from Pakistan features two naturally joined prismatic crystals with a pale icy-blue colour and good translucency. The taller crystal rises behind a shorter companion crystal, giving the specimen a simple stepped shape. Both crystals show the straight sides and strong vertical striations typical of Beryl. The upper ends are incomplete and naturally broken rather than fully terminated, with small edge chips, internal fractures, and minor matrix remaining around the base. Despite the damage, the clean colour and upright paired-crystal form make it a solid collector specimen.
Aquamarine is the blue variety of Beryl, the same mineral family as Emerald, Morganite, Heliodor, and Goshenite. Pakistan is well known for Aquamarine from pegmatite deposits in the northern mountain regions, especially around Skardu and the broader Gilgit-Baltistan area. These localities are known for producing blue Beryl crystals with prismatic form, natural striations, and a clean pale blue to blue-green colour.
Spiritually, Aquamarine is often associated with calm communication, emotional balance, clear thinking, and steady confidence. It is commonly connected with the throat chakra and is often used by crystal collectors as a stone for peace, honesty, and self-expression.
Chemical Composition: Be3Al2Si6O18
Quantity: 1pc
With this product, you will get the actual stone in the photograph.