Tourmaline (Var: Indicolite), Lepidolite

Unknown Owner

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A glassy, fat, 5 x 4 x 3.5 cm BLUE indicolite sits here perched smugly on a pie-shaped matrix of crystallized cleavelandite - hence the (heatstroke-induced?) nickname given it by the Gochenours upon mining last year. Because of its form, color and luster, this piece is one of the very best CG tourmalines found to date in over 2 years of active mining, for my tastes and in context with worldwide tourmalines. However, that being said, its even better by County standards because big fat indicolites like this haven't been found in 30 years, since mining at the Stewart produced a few....and those not as glassy. In fact the termination is so glassy you can look right down into it to a considerable depth (which makes the pictures worse than the actual specimen because the light refracts). I was EXTREMELY happy to find that Chris had purchased this piece just before selling his collection to me, as I would have bought it anyhow. 9.2 x 5.3 x 3.5 cm