Indicolite Tourmaline & Quartz (1960s!) Sinkankas & Larson Coll.

Item Description

A VERY RARE and striking 3.4 cm spray of indicolite tourmalines is aesthetically set on the sculptural quartz-rich matrix on this exotic old rarity from the famous Tourmaline Queen Mine, source of the world renowned 1972 "Blue Cap Pocket". The pretty teal-green, gemmy, lustrous, striated prisms reach 2.4 cm, Two of the crystals are terminated and have beautiful rich indicolite-blue and purple caps. The terminated quartz crystal is 4.0 cm long and there are many more tourmalines and tourmaline sections set in the matrix. This piece was 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. Bill Larson noted that he bought this piece from John Sinkankas, prominent California author, artist, mineralogist, field collector, book collector, lapidarist and gemologist. Read more about John's stellar career at: https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/sinkankasjohn/. See MINDAT: https://www.mindat.org/loc-3564.html and the fine 2002 Mineralogical Record article in Vol. 33, No. 5 for more information on this famed locale. Ex Bill Larson San Diego County Pegmatite Collection and long on display at his Pala International shop in Fallbrook. Comes with custom-made and engraved lucite base valued at $145, for free. A significant, classic and uncommon old Queen Mine piece with a RARE indicolite spray and an outstanding provenance. NOTE there are a few old repairs, from the look of them done by John himself with old miner's glue....you can see the browning, aging glue in the photos, in a few cracks. This gives a historic antique look, but it is yellowed and old glue and it needs to be noted (can also be redone at the lab, to modern standards, if desired - this has not been professionally cleaned since the day it was mined).