FMF - Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Matt_Zukowski]

On April 17, Oleg Lopatkin posted an aquamarine from Volodarsk-Volynskii, Ukraine ( http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=11271#11271 )
I also have one from this locality, but have been told that aquas from there are very rare indeed and that most of the aqua material from this locality is irradiated heliodor. Have you heard this too? Do you have any advice on how to tell human-radiation-produced aqua from natural aqua from this locality?

[Peter]

Matt
There were only two pockets which produced light blue colored aquamarine of the 1500 pegmatites mined in Volodarsk (Volyn Piezo Quartz deposit), One of these pockets produced small rounded crystals just like Olegs. If you have seen my article in the Mineralogical Record Nov/Dec 2009, there is one photo of a NON natural aqua, a photo which was inserted without me knowing it. That crystal, and those in the museum in Volodarsk are all het treated NON NATURAL COLORED beryls, originally of heliodore color.
Most of these show etch figures like 99% of all beryls from Volodarsk preserved, i.e. from the giant pocket which produced about 2.5 ton heliodore.
Real Volodarsk naturally blue beryl (aqua) is a mere curiosity.
Peter

[Matt_Zukowski]

Peter:

When i saw the aqua in your article (which was excellent and fun to read, BTW) I thought that perhaps natural aquas from V-V may be a deep blue, and more common. (I had heard that the natural xtals are more pale.) It is good to know that this is an example of the human-irradiated stuff.

I am not sure what you mean by "small rounded." Are you referring to the etching or the xtals as a whole. My xtal is small (6.5cm) and somewhat rounded, but the etching is sharp - typical V-V. Also my xtal is a very pale blue. Attached are my attempts to photograph it.

What do you think?

[olelukoe]

Guys ! This aqua actually was a heliodor a lond time ago and after simple heating from the human side, (heating in a crucible) this crystal changed color and became aquamarine: http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=11271#11271

[Pete Modreski]

[Peter]

Matt
Your crystal is typical for pegmatite 521, the giant pocket! yielding the huge amount of heliodore colored beryls. It has been heated as O and P noted.

One pocket in the long tunnel from Vishnyakovka open pit to the north had a few small finger sized and shaped rounded, cylindrically shaped light natural aquas. Also one more pocket which area I did not visit myself. I am glad you found something interesting in the article.
The major pockets had never been described so I did that shortly.
Best regards
Peter

[Matt_Zukowski]

Thanks people.

Thanks also to whoever pulled this out as a separate thread.