Gemmy bi-colored Tourmaline (RARE - old) Bill Larson Coll.

Item Description

Mineral specimens are RARE from the aptly named Esmeralda (Emerald) Mine, near the renowned Himalaya Mine. This sculptural and deceptive parallel-growth small cabinet pair of lustrous, glassy, well-striated trigonal tabular prisms appears to be translucent dark to light emerald-green under normal light. Bright front and back lighting reveals the crystals are gemmy translucent with fine green color with striking zones of teal-blue color lower in the prisms! The large prism has a broken termination. Mining started in 1899 and apparently ceased around 1909. John Sinkankas and others explored the pegmatite between 1956 and the mid-1960s, when this fine piece was collected. See MINDAT: https://www.mindat.org/loc-91270.html and the 2002 Mineralogical Record issue, Vol. 33, No. 5 for more information on the mine. Ex Bill Larson San Diego County Pegmatite Collection and long on display at his Pala International shop in Fallbrook. A choice, rare and richly colored tourmaline from the locale. Mass is 23 grams.