Red Beryl
Red beryl is an extremely rare variety of beryl that receives its red color from trace amounts of manganese. Red Beryl is also known as Bixbite and is sometimes called Red Emerald. This gemstone is the rarest of all beryl gemstones, and is perhaps the rarest of all precious gems. For each “Red Emerald” gemstone in the world, it is estimated there are 150,000 Diamonds, 12,000 Green Emeralds, and 9,000 Rubies.
Red Beryl was written about in Gems & Gemology Vol. XX, 1984 © Gemological Institute of America “Red Beryl is now, and is likely to remain, the rarest of all gem beryls. Material from the Ruby-Violet Claims provides both spectacular gemstones and mineral specimens.” and most recently in the May 2017 edition of Rock & Gem magazine Vol 47 Issue 5 “Is it Really Red Emerald? Rare Red Beryl Deserves a Special Name.”
In the entire world, crystals suitable for cutting gems have been found in only one location, the Ruby-Violet claims in the Wah Wah Mountains of Beaver County, Utah. The Utah Geological Survey is the source that estimated one crystal of red beryl is found for every 150,000 gem-quality diamonds. Only 0.5% of all gem Red Beryl found reach the half caret size. These are seen in the photo above right bottom Red Emerald Suite Treasure Bracelet or the combined weight 11 carats of the largest gemstones in the Red Emerald Suite Treasure Earrings (one of which is shown above the bracelet.)
"Red Emerald" was first discovered in Utah in 1904 by Maynard Bixby (the mineral was named "Bixbite" in his honor). The yeild concentrations were small and the mineral wasn't of gem-quality. In 1958 gem quality "Bixbite" was discovered in the Wah Wah Mountains by Lamar Hodges of Fillmore, Utah who was prospecting for uranium at the time.
He staked twelve unpatented lode claims after his discovery. They were named Ruby,1 through 4, and Violet,1 through 8. These were worked as hobby mines by the Hodges family and by intermittent leases, known as the "Ruby Violet claims".
In 1967 the mining rights were sold to the Harris family of Delta, Utah who began a small-scale, open-cut, artisan mining operation, adding additional heavy equipment and increasing the mechanized operations through the1990's. The red "Bixbite" crystals were identified for the first time as Red Beryl crystals by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in 1971.
Item # 1RBUT041795301
Old Utah Collection Red Beryl from the Ruby Violet Claims
$195.00
Red Beryl crystal from an old Utah Collection in the Wah Wah Mountains of Utah. This is an 8mm long Hexagonal crystal with some attached Rhyolite matrix. These crystals are EXTREMELY RARE and are only found in one locality in the world. Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to own one of the rarest gemstones in the world.
Item # 2RBUT04171058
Old Utah Collection Red Beryl from the Ruby Violet Claims
$169.00
Red Beryl crystal on Rhyolite matrix in great condition from its only source in the world, the ruby Violet Claims in the Wah Wah Mountains, Beaver County, Utah. This specimen has 2 Red Beryl crystals on Rhyolite matrix. These crystals are EXTREMELY RARE and are only found in one locality in the world. Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to own one of the rarest gemstones in the world.
This specimen measures 1.7 x 1.5 x 0.9 inches (4.3 x 4 x 2.4cm) and weighs 25 grams.
Item # 3RBUT06174933
Utah Collection Red Beryl/Bixbite from the Ruby Violet Claims
$59.00
Red Beryl crystal on Rhyolite matrix in great condition from its only source in the world, the ruby Violet Claims in the Wah Wah Mountains, Beaver County, Utah. This specimen has multiple Red Beryl crystals on Rhyolite matrix. These crystals are EXTREMELY RARE and are only found in one locality in the world. Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to own one of the rarest gemstones in the world.
This specimen measures 1.2 x 0.63 x 0.46 inches (30 x 16.1 x 11.9mm) and weighs 6 grams.