Tourmaline (Indicolite) on Quartz - image 1

Tourmaline (Indicolite) on Quartz

Unknown Owner

Help improve this recordNo owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

This is a UNIQUE matrix tourmaline! An etched, lustrous, translucent to transparent, royal blue, elbaite, to 4.5 cm in length, is perched on a 9.5 cm-long, gray, quartz crystal that has alternating frosted and gemmy faces. Most of the Otjua elbaites were varying colors of rubellite, so this royal blue elbaite is much rarer. In fact, I have NEVER seen another. This and the single following both came in trade from the private stash of Charlie Key, who obtained them some 20 years ago in Africa. The indicolite is really blue, not blue-gray as some have been, and stands out dramatically - more so, in person.