Rubellite Tourmaline (classic 1978 discovery)

Item Description

Out of the many thousands of places where Tourmaline has been found around the world, one of the most famous mines for this beloved mineral is the Jonas Mine in Brazil. This piece dates back to 1978 when a world-changing discovery of some of the most significant Tourmaline crystals ever found took place. The largest and finest crystals of Rubellite Tourmaline ever seen came out of this discovery. According to the entry on mindat.org, "3.6 tons of high-quality rubellite crystals, including 200 kg of cutting-quality gem rough" were found. This piece is a classic thumbnail sized example of these famous Rubellites featuring a lustrous, GEM QUALITY, reddish-pink cranberry color prismatic crystal free of matrix. The piece is in great shape overall, with no major damage, but it's contacted on the base where it was removed from the pocket wall. Jonas Tourmalines are among the most important Tourmalines in the world, and here's a great chance to get your hands on a nice example of this classic material. The piece weighs 0.92 grams.