Chrysoberyl

specimen number:
2133209

location:
Colatina, Espirito Santo, Brazil

description:
Attractive lustrous yellow green twinned crystal of chrysoberyl. In super condition all around. Classic for this locality. A small but choice thumbnail specimen.

The Colatina area in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, is a classic locality renowned for producing exceptional chrysoberyl specimens, particularly the famous six-rayed cyclic twins known as trillings. Geologically, these minerals are hosted within complex granitic pegmatites of the Aracuai Orogen, which were emplaced during the Neoproterozoic era. The chrysoberyl crystals formed in an aluminum-rich, silica-undersaturated environment, often resulting in sharp, heart-shaped twins or the more complex hexagonal-shaped trillings that exhibit distinct re-entrant angles. Historically, mining in the Colatina region saw its most significant period of activity during the mid-20th century, specifically from the 1940s through the 1960s, as part of a broader gemstone rush in eastern Brazil. Most of these specimens were recovered from artisanal eluvial and alluvial workings rather than deep industrial mines. While the region is less active today for this specific mineral, the sharp, yellowish-green to honey-colored twins from this period remain a historical benchmark for the species in major mineralogical collections worldwide.

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