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Richard here from Mineral of the Month Club, with information on our July 2011 featured mineral, Aquamarine from Erongo Mountain, Namibia.
As you can imagine, we're very excited to be able to present these! We've attached our write-up on Aquamarine so you can get leg up on reading it. The special section on the element beryllium, an essential component of the mineral beryl, you may find especially interesting, as well as the history of the aquamarine find as detailed in "About Our Specimens." We wanted to send this Email in the end of June before folks start taking long weekends around the July 4 holiday. Here's a link to the Aquamarine Write-up: Aquamarine Write-upKnowing that most Club members will want to order an Aquamarine, we did not put together an Offer sheet this month. However, if you are interested in any of the minerals from last month's Offer Sheet--Olmiite, "Peanut Wood," Azurite suns, Libyan Desert Glass, Marcasite, or Siderite/Sphalerite after Calcite, please let me know and I'll resend you the Offer Sheet with photos and details.
As you can see from the photos below, our aquamarine crystals have lovely blue color and well-formed, sharp crystal edges. The color and clarity varies from crystal to crystal, and is one of the key feature in pricing them. Size of course is important, as is the degree of symmetry. We grouped them according to their crystal habit: Single crystals, multiple crystals, crystals with black tourmaline, and crystals on matrix. We got as many nice specimens as we could in each group--we never buy specimens just so we can have them available to sell, but rather only pick out the ones we feel confident in offering you, hoping you will be pleased with your specimen upon receipt. Those of you who have priced these at shows or on the internet know how dear these aquamarines can be!
Gold-level specimens are available as always for $26.50. They are about 1" to 1.25" long and .5" wide with good color and crystal form.
Group 1 Aquamarine crystals are the single crystals. We have the most of these, about 63 pieces altogether. We have pieces about the size of the Gold-level specimens (1" to 1.25" long) but with better color and clarity. They are priced according to size, clarity, and intensity of color, for $50, $55, $60, $65, and $70. Please indicate a second choice in case your first choice is not available.
We also have some wider single aquamarine crystals about .5" to 1" tall and .5" to .75" wide with darker color for $65, $70, $75, $80, $85. $90, $95, $100, $105, $115, and $130, according to clarity and intensity of color. These are the crystals with the most intense color. Please indicate a second choice in case your first choice is not available.
Group 2 Aquamarine crystals have two or more crystals, grown side by side or intersecting, as you can see from the photos. We have about 22 of these. The larger crystal is about .75" by 1" tall and .25" to .5" wide, and these are available for $65, $70, and $75, and the bigger, better ones for $90, $100, $120, and $150.
Group 3 Aquamarine crystals are intergrown with some black tourmaline. We have about 11 of these. The smaller aquamarine crystals are about .75" to 1" high and .25" to .5" wide with a small bit of black tourmaline, and are available for $60, $70, and $100, according to size and quality.
Group 4 Aquamarine crystals have matrix. We have about 15 of these. Smaller crystals, about .75" to 1" high and .25" to .5" wide with just a small piece of matrix, are available for $70, and with more substantial matrix for $90; the bigger better crystals on matrix are available for $210, $225, and $270.
I'm trying something a little different with the photos this month. I'm photographing a pair of typical representative crystals of the least expensive price from each of the four Groups, so you know that your piece will look like it, or better, depending on what price you order. As mentioned, we graded them according to size, clarity, and intensity of color.
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to place an order. Feel free to call at 1-800-941-5594 if you prefer. And please let me know if you wish to pass on this mineral, so I will know you received this Email OK. Thanks in advance!
Richard
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