Red Beryl

Rare single crystal of red beryl from the Wah Wah Mountains, Beaver County, Utah, USA. The specimen shows an intense red to purplish-red colour, forming a well-defined hexagonal prismatic crystal with sharp terminations and a vitreous luster. The colour saturation and crystal form are characteristic of classic Utah red beryl.

Red beryl is a rare beryl-group silicate, first described in 1904 and historically known as bixbite, named in honour of Maynard Bixby, an American mineralogist and collector. It forms under highly specialized conditions in rhyolitic volcanic environments, making it one of the rarest gem-related beryl varieties.

The Wah Wah Mountains represent the type locality and principal source worldwide for red beryl. Crystals from this locality are internationally renowned and are considered among the rarest beryl varieties, with only a limited number of well-formed crystals known. Single crystals without matrix, such as this example, are particularly desirable for systematic and species-focused collections.

The specimen originates from the former collection of C. Strömpl, an amateur mineralogist.