Fluor-uvite - Uvite Series (Tourmaline) (good sized crystal)

Item Description

These distinctive and iconic Tourmaline crystals from the Pomba Pit in Brazil for many years were labeled as Uvite, but recent analysis has showed that they should be labeled as part of the Fluor-uvite - Uvite series. The reasoning behind this designation is that the two species cannot be distinguished visually, so it's impossible to know which species this is without analysis. With that said, it appears that most pieces that were labeled previous as Uvite are likely to be Fluor-uvite, but we are labeling these specimens going forward as Fluor-uvite - Uvite series to be on the safe side. This piece is an excellent, very good sized, compound crystal of this distinctive and classic material features fine quality, sharp, lustrous, compressed trigonal crystal faces of a deep red color, free of matrix. The piece is close to being a "floater", as it's largely crystallized all over, but there's a point of contact on the termination on the reverse side of the piece, so it's not totally complete. You can get a bit of color to shine through the edges when the piece is backlit, but it's largely opaque. Most crystals from this area rarely exceed 1-2 cm, so a piece of this size with such excellent form and luster is rare and highly desirable. A fine quality example of these crystals, which are the best of their respective species ever found. Valued $1,800.