Liddicoatite

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.

For a brief time in the early 2000s we saw a few finds each year from Vietnam, of interesting tourmalines. Most were opaque and frankly just locality pieces, but this pocket took me by surprise (about 2005 if I recall). It features exceptionally glassy crystals in radiating sprays, with a hot pink core from which shoot out greenish-tinged secondary crystals. The color gradient is subtle and hard to describe in words, but I think obvious in the photo. This specimen is large for the style, has excellent overall form, and has excellent luster. It has a small bit of attached mica on back (where it is contacted), and has some contact zones and minimal damage to the left side - but otherwise it is complete. The splayed-out nature of the habit is also well-developed here, making the piece more interesting than the typical "vertical stick" appearance of so many tourmalines. I have not seen more of this style in years now. Weighs 389 grams.