Auction Win: Beryl (Goshenite-Aquamarine) with Quartz and Muscovite

Locality: Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Size: Small Cabinet - 6 × 6 × 4.7 cm

A light blue beryl crystal with a pink cap & great luster, nestled between quartz crystals, with a Muscovite foreground.

Beryl is a beryllium cyclosilicate mineral, Be3Al2(Si6O18), with colored transparent varieties like emerald and aquamarine serving as prized gemstones. Its name likely comes from the Greek "beryllos," referring to blue-green stones in antiquity, and it is commonly found in pegmatites.

Skardu Area in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, formerly part of the OLD Skardu District before 2015, is a renowned mining locality geologically situated along the Main Karakoram Thrust where complex granitic pegmatites and alpine-type deposits host over 110 valid minerals. This region is a type locality for hambergite and has produced notable specimens of tourmaline, topaz, emerald from the Basha Valley, and spessartine garnet, making it highly significant for collectors seeking rare pegmatite-associated minerals. The area includes sub-localities such as Stak Nala and the Shigar Valley, where high mines like Yuno and Mungo are actively exploited for these valuable mineral commodities. Today, Skardu remains a premier source for collectors pursuing unique specimens from the Himalayan-Karakoram mineral belt, particularly those interested in beryllium, boron, and rare garnet varieties.