Elbaite Tourmaline with Quartz
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.
At least a dozen lustrous Elbaite crystals are intergrown glassy Quartz crystals on this small cabinet piece Myanmar (Burma). All of the Tourmalines are polychrome with a dark green-black (Schorl) basal portion that transitions into a pale grass-green diffuse zone followed by a nearly colorless zone (Achroite) to pale olive green zone to the terminations that hosts a very subtle, thin, dispersed, pink zone in some of the crystals. The Elbaite Tourmaline crystals are largely 1 to 2 cm in length with some some tiny ones tucked in the Quartz measuring a few millimeters. Many of the Tourmalines show directional growth orientation with one, larger, pronounced outlier at an obtuse angle along with several tiny crystals. The glassy, transparent to translucent Quartz crystals resemble "Herkimers" in appearance with their stout doubly terminated habit intergrown with and growing on top of the Tourmaline crystals. There are so many of them that piece scintillates with their super luster. There are a few translucent white-gray Feldspar crystals on onside at the periphery. In Burma, at the time, these actually were considered much more rare and valuable than the translucent red crystals we consider so famous from the region, because true elongated gem tourmalines like this had not been seen as often. Bill told me he paid about twice this price on the ground in Burma (just had to have for the collection...)!
Product details
SpeciesTourmaline, Quartz, Elbaite
SizeSmall Cabinet
Dimensions6.6 x 5.0 x 2.5 cm
Added on12/02/2024
LocalityMyanmar, Mandalay Region, Pyingyi Taung
Known provenance
| Date | Collector | Acquisition price |
|---|---|---|
| 08/2024 | Unknown Owner | Not disclosed |
| — | The Arkenstone | Not disclosed |
Learn more

Mineral guide
Learn about Tourmaline
color range and crystal variety define a diverse group; top localities, value factors, quality assessment, and care tips for collectors.Regional guide

Comments