Tourmaline With Quartz

Unknown Owner

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Tourmaline from the Himalaya Mine is known for its exhibitions of break-healing and growth interruptions, which sometimes create "bent" crystals. This particular specimen shows another style resulting from the disruptive environment of this pegmatite. When found in the early 90's, this was referred to as the "healed pocket" because nearly all the crystals, which are beautifully intergrown with nice lustrous quartz points, showed broken terminations that had then been "healed" by a later phase of tourmaline growth. So there was no extension and regrowth of the crystal afterwards, but just a soft covering of the broken tips, resulting in a weird flowing look to the terminations here. On close inspection, they look scallopped, as if composed of many small multiple terminations. Although rare for this or any other mine, this is how 90% of the pocket was, when found. The top crystal in the cluster, though, shows a completely normal, sharp, flat, termination for contrast (do not ask me how that could have happened!). Overall, a very interesting piece, of some elegance, from a highly unique pocket at this famous mine. ex Larry Conklin collection.Joe Budd Photos