PUBLISHED PEZZOTTAITE ON MATRIX
Estimated 5+ Carats
 
In 2005, Lithographie published 'Beryl: And its Color Varieties', in which they attempted to create a comprehensive single work covering general information on the Beryl Group of Minerals.  This included sections on the recently-discovered Pezzottaite deposits located in Madagascar in 2002.
 
Most Pezzottaite of appreciable size (five carats and above) are 'floaters' -- crystals which have fallen off the host rock or matrix where they formed.  Pezzottaite crystallizes in a pegmatite mixture of rocks, and can grow in conjunction with tourmaline (watermelon or shorl/black), quartz (white, smoky or yellow) and mica.  This particular example comes from the former collection of Kevin Dixon, and was featured in Lithographie's publication as an exemplar for the variety.
 
An orangy-pink crisp hexagon sits perched on a tiny outcropping of black shorl tourmaline with druzy tufts of smaller pezzottaite around the base.  A stunning and historic example of this rare and captivating mineral.