Tourmaline

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.

Nicknamed "The Beer Cans," this was one of the more well-known Himalaya Mine pieces in the collection, and is easily notable for its sheer size alone. The large tourmaline is the size of a soda can, and the whole cluster is complete all around - a floater! It is without damage, and so remarkable for being a cluster from this severely disrupted pegmatite that is NOT repaired! This is a MAJOR San Diego specimen of a size and heft rarely seen. It was mined by the legendary Ralph Potter in the 1950s or 1960s and has long been in this showcase collection. In person, it has a much richer maroon color than is shown here, and when backlit positively glows. Again, the fact that it is not repaired or damaged, is a minor miracle to my way of thinking.