Beryl (heliodor) - Volodarsk-Volynsk, Zhitomir Oblast, Ukraine
Beryl from Volodarsk-Volynsk is one of our Top 100 Minerals.
Heliodor is a golden to greenish-yellow variety of beryl. The name, meaning "sun-gilded", was first used for beryl of a golden color found in a pegmatite deposit in Namibia. The term has no particular mineralogical significance and is generally used for gem yellow material. "Yellow" or "golden" beryl is synonymous with heliodor.
This locality is well-known for very gemmy heliodor and olive-green beryl crystals with interesting irregular looking growth faces. Upon closer inspection though, one sees that many the pits and growth hillocks follow a pattern---they are typical of the species and reflect part of the mineral's internal structure. There are several ideas as to the origin of these markings: some advocate that they are evidence of late stage etching by the very fluids that formed the crystals, with a bit of rehealing to develop the faces; others consider them irregular growth features. In any case, these surface features, combined with the near flawless transparency of many crystals from this locality, make for distinctive and very sculptural specimens.
