Schorl

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Rather smartly, farms all across Namibia have designated numbers allowing the pinpointing of mineral localities all the easier to locate and perhaps visit. One well known locality is Davib Ost Farm 61 at Karibib in the Erongo Region of Namibia, about halfway between Okahandja to the east and Walvis Bay on the Atlantic coast. The granite pegmatite here has produced some 30 species of which many form fine crystals and superb specimens. It is particularly famous for its Schorl, the black iron-rich member of the Tourmaline Group. In the case of this specimen the Schorl forms stubby prisms whose height are about equal to their breadth, with the resultant crystal being sub-spherical. Schorl crystals, both here and throughout Namibia in general, tend to be exceptional, yet this specimen enters a whole new realm. About nineteen, 3 to 4 cm diameter near-spherical Schorl crystals form an arched intergrown bridge which looks stunning when viewed from any direction. The equant prisms have relatively smooth, mirror-like faces with stippled, feathered double terminations. All crystals are jet black and there is no visible damage whatsoever. It is a superb Schorl, a large cabinet specimen fit for the most prestigious of museum or private displays.