Tourmaline Specimens

click on image for larger view

T-367  Elbaite  $300  $225
Ex R. Rizzo Collection

Pederneira Mine, São José da Safira, Minas Gerais, Brazil

3.6 x 2.1 x 1.9 cm

A mostly transparent crystal of blue-green-colored Elbaite. The lower two-thirds of this crystal is hollow. The gemmy termination has a rich, blue-green hue. This specimen requires no backlighting. The horizontal white band on the lower portion of the crystal is light being reflected off of the acrylic post that it sits upon. A custom acrylic base is included with the specimen.

click on image for larger view

click on image for larger view

T-344  Elbaite & Lepidolite  $750  $475

Cruzeiro Mine, São José da Safira, Minas Gerais, Brazil

9.8 x 6.2 x 5.3 cm

A large, stout and green-colored crystal of Elbaite with a jacket and a crown of yellowish Lepidolite. The Elbaite has a chatoyant outer layer with a darker center. This specimen is a complete floater with no damage.

click on image for larger view

T-309  Dravite Tourmaline on Quartz  $75  $50

Maria Mine, Cananea, Municipio de Cananea, Sonora, Mexico

6.4 x 2.3 x 2.1 cm

This is an unusual specimen of Quartz and Tourmaline.  I'm not sure how it formed, but it caught my eye right away when I saw it.  This specimen features many crystals of Quartz which are blanketed in very fine crystals of of Dravite (which were very difficult to photograph).  This specimen is complete and is undamaged.  Specimens from the mine began to appear in the late 1980s.  Unfortunately, there was usually an inordinate amount of damage to most specimens, and there are not a lot of specimens that survived intact and undamaged.

click on image for larger view

click on image for larger view

T-378  Elbaite and Cleavelandite  $325  $225

Stak Nala, Haramosh Mountains, Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

4.9 x 5.2 x 3.6 cm

A green-colored prism of Elbaite with a lighter-green-colored termination. This specimen is encased in a group of translucent Cleavelandite crystals measuring up to 1.5 centimeters in size.

click on image for larger view

T-373  Indicolite  $850  $550
Ex. R. Wein Collection
Ex R. Rizzo Collection

Santa Rosa Mine, Itambacuri, Minas Gerais, Brazil

6.4 x 5.3 x 3.2 cm

A pair of richly colored crystals of Indicolite Tourmaline on a matrix of Quartz & Lepidolite. The Tourmaline crystals range from clear to translucent and have a good lustre. The terminations of the crystals are intact and show just a little hint of green. This specimen displays well with no backlighting needed. The crystals have a little wear near the bottom but are in overall good condition. The form of these Indicolite crystals a typical for specimens recovered in the 1970-80's from Santa Rosa.

click on image for larger view

T-285  Elbaite Tourmaline on Quartz with Cleavelandite  $300  $225

Skardu, Baltistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

7.7 x 5.5 x 5.5

Skardu is a very active district in mining for mineral specimens.  Pegmatite, alpine type and metamorphic minerals are found in thousands of small handcrafted digs.  The most prolific mines are in high altitude remote areas and can be worked only in summer.  This specimen features a 5.5 centimeter dark-green crystal of Elbaite with a 5 millimeter zone at the termination that is much lighter in color and is transparent.  There is a second Tourmaline that measures 4.4 centimeters and is almost completely encapsulated, just the smallest hint of a termination protrudes from the rear, in the Quartz & Feldspar matrix.  The Quartz crystal is complete all around and is fairly clear.  Accenting the main Tourmaline is a 2.5 centimeter rosette of Cleavelandite.  You just don't see these Tourmalines from Skardu that often these days.

click on image for larger view

T-339  Elbaite with Pyrite & Cleavelandite  $950  $650
Ex Chris Amo Collection

Pederneira Mine, São José da Safira, Minas Gerais, Brazil

7.8 x 2.5 x 2.4 cm

This prism of Tourmaline features a red core with a green outer layer and a darker termination that is sprinkled brassy-colored crystals of Pyrite. The crystal is complete all around with no damage. This specimen is an example of one of the rarer mineral associations that that occur at this famous and long-lived Tourmaline location. These specimens are from a small find from the mid 1980's and are pretty much never seen for sale. This specimen comes with a custom-made acrylic base.

click on image for larger view

T-348  Elbaite (double terminated)  $250  $175

Stak Nala, Haramosh Mountains, Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

6.1 x 2 x 1.7 cm

A lustrous and double terminated crystal of dark-green-colored Elbaite. The top termination of this specimen is yellow-green in color and is transparent while the bottom termination is translucent and has a rich green color. The terminations of the "hitchhiker" crystals on the sides are colorless. This specimen is also included by truncated crystals of Cleavelandite.

click on image for larger view

T-302  Elbaite Tourmaline on Albite with Cookeite  $75  $50

Palway, Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad District, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

3.6 x 4 x 1.1 cm.

Here we have a double-terminated, deeply-colored green Tourmaline crystal perched on a matrix of Albite and Cookeite.  This Tourmaline is what I call "slightly tortured" in that it exhibits evidence of being bent, broken and re-healed.  This is an older specimen from the early 2000's. Examples of material from this remote location were only available for about a year or so and are not seen for sale these days. An interesting specimen from an obscure locality.

click on image for larger view

T-304  Schorl Tourmaline  $150  $95

Santa Cruz, Municipio de Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico

10.7 x 5 x 4.1 cm.

A stout assemblage of Tourmaline crystals from Sonora, Mexico.  This Schorl specimen sports a satin-like lustre and has no damage.  This is old material and rarely seen as crystals this large.

click on image for larger view

T-310  Elbaite Tourmaline with Cleavelandite  $175  $100

Stak Nala, Haramosh Mountains, Skardu District, Baltistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

4.6 x 3.6 x 2.4 cm

In the 1990's these spectacular Tourmalines were quite abundant but are seldom seen for sale these days.  This location is now considered to be all but defunct. This Tourmaline has a good luster and has sports a cape of Cleavelandite crystals.  With the price of Tourmaline being what it is these days, it's getting harder to find Tourmaline specimens at a decent price.

click on image for larger view

T-307  Schorl Tourmaline (double terminated)  $95  $65

Mantena, Minas Gerais, Brazil

5.5 x 2 x 2.5 cm.

A curiously bent and twisted double-terminated crystal of the variety Tourmaline, Schorl.  This highly lustrous crystal is fascinating and unique. Unlike most tourmaline crystals this is not just a plain prism with some striations but much more a complex stack that looks as if it was constructed from many smaller parts. Mantena is mostly known for producing specimens of Apatite and Siderite but also produces very attractive schorl crystals too.  For a black mineral specimen, this Schorl crystal has a lot of pizzazz.  This specimen has been displayed in many of my numerous award winning competitive exhibits.

click on image for larger view

T-325  Schorl  SOLD

Silica Pit, Morena Reservoir, Campo, San Diego County, CA

6.2 x 5.5 x 4.7 cm

A terminated crystal of Schorl from southern San Diego County. This is one of a few dozen crystals that I collected from the northeast end of the pegmatite, just above the waterline of the Morena Reservoir in November of 1993. The rotten Feldspar was shot-through with mostly fragmented Schorl crystals up to 16 inches in size. There are a few areas of contacting on the sides of the specimen, but no damage. Material from this obscure location is impossible to get these days as the area near the Morena Dam has been off-limits since just after 9\11. A great San Diego County locality specimen.