Azul Bien Grande pocket: A magnificent example of tourmaline and lepidolite from this famed Brazilian locale at the Pederneira Mine

This (unrepaired) beauty from Pederneira‘s „Azul Bien Grande“ pocket, found in 2004 years as in the former collection of Gerhard Wagner. Look at these great termination patterns and the color contrast between the Indicolite and the lilac Lepidolite matrix.

Material from the Azul Bien Grande Pocket typically shows a light violet core surrounded by a steel blue exterior.

In this case, that coloration is well developed and is accompanied by a thin red layer appearing in the last millimeter of the termination. The flat terminal faces of the three Tourmalines show exceptionally fine trigonal growth hillocks that are quite pronounced.

The major Tourmaline prism measures some 6.4 cm x 1.8 cm in diameter. The matrix is a mix of purple Lepidolite with scattered blades of colorless Cleavelandite.

Specimens like this are quite rare and unrepaired and undamaged are exponentially so.

Location: From Pederneira Mine, São José da Safira, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Measures: 8,8 x 6,8 x 5,7 cm in total size

And many thanks to Laszlo Kupi from Finemineralphotography for this fantastic shot! @finemineralphotography