Beryl

specimen number:
1052421

location:
Habach valley, Bramberg am Wildkogel, Zell am See, Salzburg, Austria

description:
A fine historical Alpine specimen showing a green translucent double terminated crystal of beryl, this is the variety known as emerald, 1.0 cm in size frozen up on a schist matrix. In good condition. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the very early 20th century if not earlier.

The Habach Valley in Austria is one of the few European localities known for emerald, and collecting in the area dates back several centuries, with documented activity since at least the 19th century. Emerald occurs in metamorphic rocks and has been recovered mainly by small scale collecting rather than large mining operations. Emerald is the green variety of the mineral beryl, with its color caused by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium in the crystal structure. Specimens from the Habach Valley are valued for their rarity and historic European origin.

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