Elbaite

$17,500.00

$40.00 shipping
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Ships from USA

A single, colour-zoned Tourmaline crystal stands erect attached to a partly enveloping array of intergrown Albite feldspar crystals of the bladed variety Cleavelandite. This exquisite specimen is from the gem bearing spodumene pegmatites at Paprok in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan. Most probably Elbaite, the Tourmaline prism measures 6 cm tall and has a cleaved base and flat pinacoid termination. As with most Tourmaline, the prism faces are vertically striated, in this case very finely striated giving a silky lustre and texture. Although translucent throughout, zones of the crystal tend towards semi-transparent, especially towards the termination. Beginning at the base, the prism grades from black (or intensely dark green) into turquoise sea-green, whitish-colourless, pale lavender with major zones of leaf green and finally terminating in a beautiful deep ultramarine 5 mm thick cap. The pinacoid displays different colours depending on the direction it is viewed and looking end-on is a whirlpool of mossy deep leaf greens, swirling structures of pale lavender with occasional flashes of metallic sapphire-blue. A striking and simply lovely Tourmaline specimen. Ex Jesse Fisher and Joan Kureczka Collection.