gems, pegmatites, Urals, Russia, beryl, topaz, tourmaline, feldspar, emerald, alexandrite, phenakite intergrowth

The northern section of the central Ural Mountains of Russia includes notable miarolitic pegmatites carrying beryl, topaz and tourmaline in the western endo and exocontact of the Mursinka-Adui intrusions and the desilicated pegmatites surrounded by emerald-alexandrite-phenakite mineralization. Fine blue topaz with smoky quartz and albite is found at the Mokrusha, Golodnij, Tyazhitnitza, Staraja Mylnitsa, Starzewa Jama and Kazionnitsa mines. Gem-bearing pegmatites NW of Mursinka are enclosed in a serpentine and contain miaroles with coloured tourmaline: pegmatites to the W and SW contain green and yellow beryl and yellow or light blue topaz. The Sarapulka and Shaitanka pegmatites are thin veins with rubellite and rhodizite in the W and green and blue aquamarine in the E. Large amounts of emerald, alexandrite and phenakite have been produced since 1830 from the Takovaja district schists. Specimens recently discovered include combinations of phenakite/emerald and alexandrite/emerald. The southern Ural region centred on Miass in the Ilmen Mountains produced clear topaz crystals up to 3-4 kg and uncommon green beryl associated in miarolitic pegmatites with amazonite.