Bi-colored Tourmaline (Larson Coll.)

Item Description

A very fine, stout trigonal tourmaline from the famous Tourmaline Queen Mine, source of the fabled 1972 "Blue cap pocket". The pegmatite has produced has a wide range of richly colored tourmalines over the years and this is outstanding bi-colored example. The well-striated, lustrous crystal appears to be mostly schorl with hints of green under normal light. BUT - backlighting reveals zones of gemmy grass-green and a pretty 5 mm zone of light blue tourmaline (it looks green in the photo). There is a narrow 1 mm indicolite-blue zone beneath the lustrous matte termination. Complete all-around and in great shape, with only a trivial bit of termination edge wear and the basal contacting by the complementary cleavelandite. See: https://www.mindat.org/loc-3564.html. 210 grams mass. Ex Bill Larson San Diego County Pegmatite Collection and long on display at his Pala International shop in Fallbrook. A handwritten note with the piece by Bill Larson indicates the piece was found by Ed Swoboda in the 2000s, when he operated the mine. An outstanding tourmaline from the 2000s finds at this famed locale with a fine provenance. Valued at $3500.