Tabular blue alkali beryl from Italy and Afganistan

Since 2014 a limited number of unusual tabular blue beryl crystals up to several centimeters across, from Deo Darrah, Badakshan Province (Afghanistan), appeared in the international market. More production occurred in 2015 and also on late 2017, when probably the best specimens were found. This last production was presented at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show 2018, creating significant interest among collectors. Belonging to the information of the authors, the very first crystals of this beryl variety were reported on the web on late 2013, and they created immediately debate about the real nature and composition of the mineral (see discussion in the forum of www.mindat.com). Thanks to the collaboration of some international mineral dealers and some collectors, the first author had the possibility of inspecting most of the specimens of this unusual beryl from the locality, collecting information about the appearance and the paragenesis, and selecting some samples for analyses. The interest of the first author was brought by the fact that such blue, tabular beryl crystals, are very similar in the morphology, the paragenesis and the composition, to some beryl crystals, up to one centimeter in diameter, discovered and partially described in Elba Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Tuscany, Italy) at the end of the 19th century (Busatti, 1891), and more recently by Orlandi & Pezzotta (1996).