Elbaite Tourmaline

Unknown Owner

A terrific miniature of double terminated Elbaite Tourmaline from the Himalaya mine in San Diego County, California, USA, displaying splendid colour zoning and tectonic deformation. This ex. matrix prism is triangular in cross section and measures 4.7 cm long, displaying distinct pale sage and leafy green bands terminating at one end in light candy pink. Towards the pink end the crystal begins to droop, this zone being interrupted by successive naturally re-healed fractures. Such bending and re-healing is observed in Tourmaline where tectonic events such as earthquakes have fractured the crystal causing it to distort under gravity. It’s a lovely example from the Himalaya mine.