Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Emerald
Be₃Al₂(SiO₃)₆
This specimen features several vibrant green emerald crystals, some exhibiting well-formed hexagonal prismatic habits, embedded within a matrix of white quartz. The emeralds display varying degrees of clarity and intensity of green color.
Emerald Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
7.5Crystal System
hexagonalLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
imperfect basalFracture
conchoidal to unevenSpecific Gravity
2.67Colors
greenTransparency
transparent to translucentType Locality
Kagem Emerald Mine, Kafubu Emerald District, Ndola, Copperbelt Province, ZambiaMineral Group
SilicatesUses
jewelry, collectorAssociated Minerals
quartz, berylRarity
rareGeological Context
Emeralds are a variety of beryl colored by trace amounts of chromium and/or vanadium, typically forming in metamorphic rocks such as schists or in hydrothermal veins and pegmatites associated with granitic intrusions. Their formation requires specific geological conditions to concentrate the necessary elements.
