Aquamarine (Namibia)

Beryl is a relatively rare silicate mineral with a chemical composition of Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈ . It is found in igneous and metamorphic rocks in many parts of the world.

The most important use of beryl today is as a gemstone. It is one of the most important gem minerals, and the gems of beryl are named by their color as: Emerald (green), Aquamarine (greenish blue to blue), Morganite (pink to orange), Red Beryl (red), Heliodor (yellow to greenish yellow), Maxixe (deep blue), Goshenite (colorless), and Green Beryl (light green).

Beryl is a mineral that contains a significant amount of beryllium. Beryllium is a very rare metal, and that limits the formation of beryl to a few geological situations where beryllium is present in sufficient amounts to form minerals. It mainly occurs in granite, rhyolite, and granite pegmatites; in metamorphic rocks associated with pegmatites; and, in veins and cavities where hydrothermal activity has altered rocks of granitic composition. These different types of deposits are often found together and serve as an exploration indicator for finding beryl.

Credit: Geology.com

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Aquamarine: Derives its name from the Latin name Aqua Marina, meaning "Sea Water", because of it's splendid blue color.

The color can come in many shades of blue; light blue, deep blue, green-blue, and many shades in between. The color is caused by trivalent Iron (Fe3+) and/or divalent Iron (Fe2+) occupying different positions in the lattice structure.

The habit of Aquamarine varies from needles through elongated prisms to tabular habits. Crystals can be found free-standing in vugs or embedded in host rock, sometimes as parallel grown or radial aggregates. Aquamarines can be found in pegmatite occurrences, Alpine-type clefts, pneumatolythic occurrences and alluvial gem gravels.
Credit: Mindat.org

Heliodor: Is a name used by mineralogists and gemologists for specimens of the mineral beryl with a yellow, greenish yellow, or golden-yellow color.

The name "heliodor" is derived from two Greek words: helios, which means "sun," and doron, which means "gift." They combine as "gift from the sun."

The yellowish colors of heliodor are usually caused by small amounts of iron within the mineral's crystal structure.

Prismatic heliodor crystals may have etched faces. This results from changes in the chemical composition of the crystal’s growth medium due to overpressure during its formation.
Credit: Geology.com

MINERALS:
We guarantee the mineral specimen you purchase will be the exact item you receive. It is important to us that you enjoy your mineral specimen as much as we enjoyed sourcing it for you. We use professional photography and video to show you every inch of the specimen using optimal lighting/setup conditions. If you want to view a specimen from a certain angle or lighting source we are happy to provide more images/videos at your request.

Minerals over $1,000 include a certificate of authenticity from Invenio Fine Minerals. We only issue a certificate of authenticity for minerals we sell.

Measurement Descriptions:
Thumbnail: 0.2 to 3 Centimeters / .0625 - 1.118 Inches
Miniature: 3+ to 5 Centimeters / 1.125 - 1.96 Inches
Cabinet: 5+ to 9.5 Centimeters / 2.0 - 3.7 Inches
Large Cabinet: Greater than 10 Centimeters / Greater than 4 Inches

Minerals pictured attached to an acrylic base will be delivered attached to the base. We can unmount the specimen for you if you prefer.
We offer basic and custom mineral mounting services, contact us for more info.

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PURCHASING:
We use Shopify for our online checkout system, Invenio Fine Minerals does not store your personal or banking information outside of the Shopify system. All of our transactions are secure through the Shopify system, if you have any questions please contact us.

We offer a 14 day return period on mineral specimens - Specimens must be returned in the original packaging and arrive back to us damage free - Customer pays return shipping - No exceptions!

There are no returns for printed artwork.

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SHIPPING:
We use premium packaging materials to protect mineral specimens, every order is carefully packaged and thoughtfully protected. 

Shipping in the United States:
Free shipping in the United States on mineral specimens.

Tracking is included on every purchase
Insurance is optional over $100, please read below

Worldwide Shipping:
$55 flat for all international orders* 
*Certain restrictions and additional charges may apply depending on buyers location*

We only ship orders to the UK and EU with a value over $200 USD

We ship international with USPS Priority Mail - Tracking is included.

Invenio Fine Minerals does not charge VAT or import fees on international orders

Buyer is responsible for all import taxes and fees.

Insurance is not included on international orders.

US Shipping Insurance:
Insurance is not included on all mineral specimen orders. We insure packages on a case-by-case basis, if you would like to insure your package please contact us.

Damage or Loss:
If your mineral specimen is damaged or lost during shipment we will work with you to compensate you for the issue. 

Insurance is included on artwork orders up to $100 - Additional insurance can be purchased for orders over $100. If your print is damaged during shipment we must be notified within 24 hours - Please include pictures of the damaged packaging. We are not responsible for artwork damaged during the unpacking process - Please use great caution when handling your artwork!

If your mineral specimen package arrives damaged please keep ALL of the original packaging as it may be required by the shipping service for an insurance review. Contact us immediately with any issues.

Please unpack your mineral/s with care, we are not responsible for damage during unpacking.