Rubellite Tourmaline (classic material) (1980s)

Item Description

The Jonas Mine is one of the premier Tourmaline localities in history. It is world-famous for producing the most spectacular Rubellite Tourmaline specimens ever seen. The finest examples of these crystals reached approximately 1 meter in length with the classic fiery cranberry red hue. This piece is a lovely large miniature / small cabinet sized example of this beloved material featuring a rather gemmy, prismatic, striated crystal of Rubellite with gorgeous deep reddish-pink color internally when backlit. Group of silvery\-lilac "Lepidolite" Mica can be seen on several sides, a common association for this locality. I put "Lepidolite" in quotes because it's no longer considered a species, and right now it's said to be a series between Polylithionite and Trilithionite. No major damage, save the base where the piece was removed from the pocket wall. A showy specimen of this world famous material from Brazil dating back to the 1980s when it was purchased by the well-known jewelry company, EF Watermelon.
Valued $4,500