Ilvaite (old classic from the type locality)

Item Description

The Isle of Elba has the rare distinction of having two different minerals named after it. The Tourmaline species Elbaite is obvious, but a lot of people don't realize that Ilvaite is also named after the French word for Elba Island as well. This piece is a wonderful old example of these elusive and beautiful crystals with textbook orthorhombic prismatic form and the classic "chisel"-shaped termination. The faces are all glistening, smooth and unaltered. The color is a the typical jet-black hue associated with the specimens. There is a separation mark on the base of the piece where presumably another Ilvaite once grew, but overall the piece is in fantastic shape, and would make a stellar addition to any thumbnail suite, or a collection of Italian minerals, or simply minerals from the type locality.