Elbaite with Cookeite and Albite

Item Description

This is a somewhat unusual Afghani tourmaline for several reasons - both because of its color palette; and because of the composition of crystals one atop another. The piece has a pastel color pattern which is somewhat unusual. It is not colorless, but all the colors are muted and pastel, weak in saturation but pleasing overall and in combination. It is also, simply, unusual. The cluster is complete all around, 360 degrees, perched on matrix, and has excellent glassy luster, and fine glassy terminations. Moreover, it is unusual because the piece shows at least 3 generations of tourmaline growth, one upon the other! The cluster is perched upon a fragment of rubellite, hot pink-red tourmaline, that must have existed previously and been broken in the pocket, and then these others grew upon the fragments. It presents a sharp contrast of color. Lastly, small tiny pastel tourmalines grew atop the tourmalines of the vertical cluster, making for a third generation of growth here. While not the typical Afghani tourmaline, this is a fine, composed, unusual matrix piece that is simply different from others. Donated by the Meieran family to the Rice museum, it comes with a display label and was on exhibit.