Elbaite Tourmaline

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A classic style of gem Elbaite Tourmaline almost immediately recognizable as Barra do Salinas for the typical polychrome color palette from the locality. This gorgeous gem crystal exhibits three distinct and saturated horizontal color bands and is totally transparent all the way through its length. Two-thirds of the crystal is a rich, pinkish-magenta that transitions into a lighter pink zone, then with a thin, 2 mm, off-white band at the top. This, then, grades into a totally gem blue-green color at the termination! The crystal displays distinct pleochroism when rotated 90 degrees in polarized light with the colors becoming much more intense! So much so that the pinkish browns become an intense magenta and the top a dark green-blue! The Elbaite has a very sharp and rather steep pyramidal termination that comes to a distinct point. A lovely Brazilian Tourmaline from old finds. We assume this is from the 1980s given the style. From a famous, well known gem crystal collection of an Italian collector, sold off quietly a few years ago.