Elbaite with Lepidolite and Feldspar

Unknown Owner

In recent years the lithium-bearing pegmatites at Coronel Murta in Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais have become one of the leading producers of quality Tourmaline crystals in Brazil. This superb cabinet-sized display specimen features a marvelous 9 cm long doubly-terminated colour-zoned prismatic Elbaite tourmaline crystal. Its upper termination is a flat pinacoid face with the development of a pyramidal termination at its lower end within matrix. Its main body colour is pale strawberry-red with a 3 mm wide teal blue-green band immediately beneath its upper termination which is intense raspberry-red for the top 1 mm. The teal colour also extends down one side of the upper part of the prism as a 1 mm wide band. These colours are enhanced by good back lighting. The base of the specimen comprises an aggregate of smaller prismatic Elbaite crystals held together by pale lilac-coloured Lepidolite mica, some of which extends upwards and around the main Elbaite crystal. It has two recorded repairs. The specimen comes with a custom made acryllic display stand.