Tourmaline (rare locality)

$2,500.00

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The ArkenstoneFeatured

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The Sage Mine in the Southern california pegmatite zone near to and north or east of San Diego and into Riverside County, is world famous for the variety of tourmalines. Most people have heard of the Himalaya Mine, owned throughout most of the modern era by Bill larson and Pala Intl. However, older mines dot the mountains of SoCal and material from the Sage Mine is very scarce. This came from the Bill Larson collection, a personal stash of over 500 specimens from historic SoCal mines. The Sage/Anita/Red Mountain Mine, as it was variously called, is one of the rarest of all the locations there in the Southern California pegmatite zone, and produced some fancy red tourmaline, as early as 1910 or so (much of which went to China, see mindat reference https://www.mindat.org/loc-8455.html which gives us the following information: According to Mr. Harry Bergman this mine was operated in the early 1900’s. Mr. Bergman helped with the early development of this property when it was known as the Magee Mine - RBS personal communication, Harry Bergman, Aguanga, 1958). Between 1901 and 1914, extensive surface and underground development was made by avid gem prospector - Henry Magee of Pala. As much as 10 pounds of clear gem tourmaline was taken from the deposit and several hundred pounds of fractured, pink tourmaline were shipped to China for carving (Harry Bergman). Specimens such as this date to either that era, or a round of private digging in the 1950s and 1960s when it was officially abandoned but collectors scouted around the surface. Long in the Bill Larson personal San Diego County collection until we purchased the bulk of it a few years ago (including these pieces). 176 grams. Note the color is dark unless backlit, typical of many SoCal tourmalines. It is complete all around, and well formed with only minor edge wear acceptable for its age and provenance.