Doubly terminated Indicolite Tourmaline (Bill Larson Coll.)

Item Description

Old-time, classic, large doubly terminated indicolite tourmaline from the renowned Tourmaline Queen Mine, source of the world renowned 1972 "Blue Cap Pocket". Another deceptive San Diego County pegmatite tourmaline, the stout, trigonal, highly lustrous, well-striated prism looks like a black schorl in normal light, BUT good backlighting (or sunlight) reveals beautiful violet to teal-blue zones of translucence within! Technically doubly terminated, as the base is rehealed from an old movement in the pocket after it formed These were recovered during the artisanal high grading period of the 1950s and 60s, before Ed Swoboda bought the mine in 1968 and the official and systematic remining of the Queen by Swoboda and Larson in 1971. Indicolite was what they were looking for, for the gem trade - not for mineral specimens at the time, as that would not have paid the bills! The economics were different then. Today, the crystals would pay it off , but back then, the money was in the gems. A significant large crystal, of history. 229 grams. See MINDAT: https://www.mindat.org/loc-3564.html and the fine 2002 Mineralogical Record article in Vol. 33, No. 5. Ex Bill Larson San Diego County Pegmatite Collection and long on display at his Pala International shop in Fallbrook. 229 grams mass. Classic, large and uncommon old Queen Mine indicolite.