Aquamarine Crystal in Albite Matrix - Baltistan, Pakistan

Aquamarine is a blue-green variety of beryl. Oddly enough, it owes its color to iron(II) and iron(III) cations within the crystal lattice, of which iron(II) is responsible for the blue color, while iron(III) is responsible for the yellow color. The color vibrance and hue are dependent on the concentration of these cations, or lack of one or the other. The presence of both cations in the right position within the crystal lattice, can result in a deep blue colored crystal that is known as "maxixe".

Albite is a plagioclase feldspar mineral with the chemical composition Na(AlSi3O8) in its pure form. It is a major component of granite and granitic pegmatites, and often forms in association with quartz, orthoclase, muscovite, hornblende and biotite. In most cases the crystals are white to colorless, although it can display red, green and blue hues depending on impurities present during formation. Albite earned its name from the Latin word "albus", meaning white, its most common color.