The Pakistan Gallery presents specimens from the world-famous pegmatitic areas of Northern Pakistan known for its fine gem minerals as well as from neighbor Afghanistan. Included here are nice aquamarines, elbaites, twinned titanites and more.

 

WPAK-10/45 - Spessartine and albite

Shigar Valley, Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

A piece of pegmatite with crude crystals of albite to about 1.5 cm. across acts as matrix for several dark red translucent spessartine crystals to 6 mm. across. There is as well a non-terminated partly etched black schorl crystal. Spessartine crystals are quite clean of damage.

6.3x5x3.6 - 18 €

 

 

WPAK-10/31 - Elbaite and albite

Stak Nala, Haramosh Mtns., Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

Nice cluster of blocky and tabular white albite crystals intermixed with several crystals of elbaite to 4.5 cm. long. Color of the main elbaite crystal grades from a very dark green to light green to a rare purple at the termination. There is a 5x7-mm. lonely muscovite crystal as well. Termination is tabular and presents a tiny nick on one side, otherwise undamaged.

5.8x4.9x3.8 - 70 €

 

 

WPAK-10/30 - Elbaite and albite

Stak Nala, Haramosh Mtns., Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

A loose 2.7x1.1-cm. long crystal of elbaite with some white albite tabular crystals wrapped at back. Color of the elabite grades from opaque dark green to light green to transparent very light pink at the termination. It shows small red grains that probably are some kind of garnet. Undamaged with some contacting at the bottom on one side as seen in the pictures.

2.7x2x1.7 - 45 €

 

 

WPAK-10/27 - Elbaite and albite

Stak Nala, Haramosh Mtns., Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

Two crystals of dark green elbaite to 2.7x0.6 cm. are partly embeded on a cluster of white tabular crystals of albite coated at back by tiny crystals of mica. Color of the elbaites grades to light green to a thin colorless layer at the termination. The light pink crystal on top of the small elbaite crystal seems to be the termination of a prismatic apatite crystal. Undamaged.

3x2.6x2.1 - 35 €

 

 

WPAK-07/110 - Anatase and albite

Kharan (Baluchistan, Pakistan)

A lustrous almost black (dark blue to golden brown with very slight translucency) 6x5-mm. anatase crystal on a matrix partly coated by small white crystals of albite to about 2 mm. Undamaged.

2.9x2.6x1.2 - 30 €

 

 

WPAK-07/113 - Anatase

Kharan (Baluchistan, Pakistan)

A lustrous almost black (dark blue to golden brown with very slight translucency) 5x4-mm. anatase crystal nicely perched on matrix. Undamaged and a very nice thumbnail.

2.8x2.5x2.3 - 25 €

 

 

WPAK-07/114 - Anatase

Kharan (Baluchistan, Pakistan)

A couple of lustrous almost black (very dark blue in fact) 6x5 and 4x4-mm. crystals of anatase on matrix. The largest crystal has a tiny nick at the termination, otherwise undamaged.

2.9x2x1.4 - 35 €

 

 

WPAK-07/115 - Anatase

Kharan (Baluchistan, Pakistan)

A lustrous almost black (very dark blue in fact) 7x6x5-mm. anatase crystal nicely perched on matrix. Undamaged and a very nice toenail.

1.7x1.1x1.6 - 45 €

 

 

WPAK-07/116 - Anatase and albite

Kharan (Baluchistan, Pakistan)

Lustrous almost black (dark blue to golden brown with very slight translucency) crystals of anatase on a matrix partly coated by small albite crystals. The largest anatase is a composite crystal measuring 8x6x5 mm. Unfortunately it shows some damage on one edge as can be seen in the pictures, however it still makes for a nice toenail.

1.7x1.3x1.5 - 40 €

 

 

WPAK-07/117 - Anatase

Kharan (Baluchistan, Pakistan)

A lonely lustrous almost black (very dark blue with very slight translucency) 6x5x4-mm. crystal of anatase rests just on the middle of a piece of matrix with some small greenish (due to inclusions of some mineral, probably chlorite) crystals of albite. There are some partly corroded creamy crystals to about 1.5 cm. across of an unknown mineral (perhaps altered and/or replaced calcite). Undamaged.

6x4.5x3.5 - 65 €

 

 

WPAK-05/45 - Spessartine and tourmaline

Shigar Valley, Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

A matrixless floater dodecahedral crystal of lustrous translucent to opaque dark red spessartine with an interesting etching (quite similar to the spessartines coming from Minas Gerais, Brazil in the last couple of years but less gemmy and transparent and darker colored). A few transparent colorless crystals of quartz to 1 cm. and a 2-cm. long crystal of black tourmaline associated. Some bruising with tiny nicks here and there but still a nice garnet specimen.

2.8x2.5x2.3 - 40 €

 

 

WPAK-05/46 - Spessartine

Shigar Valley, Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

A matrixless floater dodecahedral crystal of lustrous translucent to opaque dark red spessartine with an interesting etching (quite similar to the spessartines coming from Minas Gerais, Brazil in the last couple of years but less gemmy and transparent and darker colored). A few small crystals of quartz attached. Some bruising with tiny nicks here and there but still a nice garnet specimen.

3.1x2.5x2.3 - 40 €

 

 

WPAK-05/47 - Spessartine and albite

Shigar Valley, Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

A dodecahedral crystal of lustrous translucent to opaque dark red spessartine with an interesting etching (quite similar to the spessartines coming from Minas Gerais, Brazil in the last couple of years but less gemmy and transparent and darker colored). A few small crystals of quartz and some albite matrix attached. Some bruising with tiny nicks here and there but still a nice garnet specimen.

3.5x2.8x2.6 - 40 €

 

 

WPAK-06/11 - Aquamarine and albite

Shigar Valley, Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

A lustrous transparent light blue 1.9x0.7-cm. crystal of aquamarine stands out on a matrix of white crystals of albite mixed with some quartz crystals to 2.5 cm. long and some muscovite at back. The aquamaine shows a nice etching on the faces and is undamaged. There is a larger blue partial crystal of aquamarine frozen at back.

4.3x4x4.9 - 125 €

 

 

WPAK-05/9 - Aquamarine

Shigar Valley, Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

Loose doubly terminated crystal of lustrous gemmy pale blue aquamarine with faces and top termination slightly etched. Undamaged.

4.4x1.5x1.2 - 100 €

 

 

WPAK-05/11 - Aquamarine

Shigar Valley, Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

Loose doubly terminated crystal of lustrous gemmy blue aquamarine with faces slightly etched and a complex termination. The upper 1 cm. is gemmy and transparent while the rest presents interesting whitish clouds. Some white remnants of albite at bottom. Undamaged and quite nice.

3.7x1.5x1.2 - 100 €

 

WPAK-05/12 - Aquamarine

Shigar Valley, Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

Loose singly terminated crystal of lustrous gemmy transparent light blue aquamarine. Some black needles of tourmaline at bottom. Undamaged except at bottom where it was attached to the matrix.

6x1.3x0.9 - 80 €

 

WPAK-05/13 - Aquamarine

Shigar Valley, Skardu District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

Loose doubly terminated crystal of lustrous gemmy transparent pale blue aquamarine. Presents three different zones with the central one being nearly flawless. The lower area shows horizontal color-zoning while the upper third presents vertical tubular inclusions (see Sinkankas, "Emerald and other beryls", p. 283, for an explanation of the origin of the latter). Presents a natural crack in the central area and a couple of small contact areas at bottom where albite crystals were once attached, otherwise undamaged.

6x1x0.8 - 90 €

 

WMISC-03/36 - Titanite and chlorite

Bagrot, Gilgit District (Northern Areas, Pakistan)

Nice cluster of chlorite-included dark green titanite crystals and twins to about 2x1 cm. on albite matrix. Below these crystals there is a previous generation of titanite in small gemmy apple-green crystals and sections. A very good undamaged titanite specimen from the Himalayas.

5x3.5x3.5 - 150 €

MS 12/11