Specifications
Description
Locality: Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Description: This aquamarine comes from the Shigar Valley in Baltistan, in the high Karakoram of northern Pakistan. The valley lies about 32 km northeast of Skardu, and its gem-bearing pegmatite dikes are exposed at high altitude along the Shigar and Braldu rivers, much of it reachable only by jeep track. Gemmologists at GIA describe northern Pakistan as an increasingly important source of aquamarine, with the Shigar, Hunza and Braldu valleys among the main areas.
Geologists from the University of Peshawar mapped these pegmatites as part of the Karakoram Axial Batholith, intruded into the metamorphic rocks of the Karakoram Metamorphic Complex where the Karakoram plate meets the Kohistan-Ladakh island arc. The gems grow in pockets in the coarse-grained zones of the dikes. Black schorl tourmaline turns up almost everywhere in the valley, alongside topaz, green fluorite, garnet, morganite and quartz.
This aquamarine specimen shows a pale blue color with a slightly clearer, more glassy look compared to heavier milky pieces. It forms as a tight cluster of intergrown crystals, with visible flat faces, stepped terminations, and vertical striations running along the prism directions. The structure is more defined here, with multiple crystal faces catching light differently, giving it a subtle reflective quality while still maintaining some internal cloudiness and natural fractures.
Aquamarine forms in pegmatites—coarse-grained igneous bodies where slow cooling allows large crystals to develop. In the Shigar Valley, these pegmatites are known for producing beryl crystals alongside quartz, feldspar, and mica. The blue color is caused by trace amounts of iron, and the zoning, fractures, and slight variations in clarity seen in this piece reflect the natural growth conditions and stress during formation deep within the Earth’s crust.
Aquamarine is often associated with calmness, clarity, and steady thinking. Pieces like this tend to appeal to people who want something natural and structured, without being overly polished or refined.
Chemical Composition: Be3Al2Si6O18
Quantity: 1pc
With this product, you will get the actual stone in the photograph.