Elbaite

This charming miniature from Pakistan features two nicely developed and well terminated Elbaite Tourmaline crystals, aesthetically perched on a rose-like bed of cyclic crystallized Albite feldspar. The Elbaite crystals actually penetrate through the Albite and reach up to 2.3 cm in length, grading from dark, bottle green throughout their lower halves, to green-tinged colourless upper central ones, finally terminating with a narrow, mauve-pink caps. Cleavelandite is the platy variety of Albite feldspar, commonly found in pegmatite deposits and acts as the perfect base on which to display the Elbaite crystals. It is a terrific example from Stak Nala in the Haramosh Mountains of Skardu District, Baltistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.