Exceptionally well-cut Euclase from Zimbabwe, showing a crisp sky-blue body color with a concentrated zone of deeper blue. The faceting is masterful, even including a faceted girdle — a mark of high-level lapidary work that maximizes brilliance in this naturally brittle gem.
Euclase is a beryllium silicate mineral closely related to emerald and aquamarine, though far rarer. Zimbabwe is one of the few locations where gem-quality crystals occur, typically forming in metamorphic pegmatites under conditions similar to those that produce beryl. Because Euclase cleaves easily, precision cutting of this caliber is seldom achieved, making this stone an exceptional example of both geological rarity and lapidary skill
