Rubellite Tourmaline with Lepidolite

Item Description

The renowned Cruzeiro Mine in Brazil is one of the premier Tourmaline localities, not only in Minas Gerais, but arguably the world. This prestigious mine has been producing excellent specimens for decades, in a range of colors and styles. At first, I honestly thought that this piece could be from the famed Jonas Mine, as the color is that highly sought after, rarely seen deep red/cranberry hue, which is not commonly found at the Cruzeiro Mine. Honestly, the piece is quite unusual for the Cruzeiro, I can't remember seeing another quite like it in terms of form, color and overall appearance. Several stout trigonal prisms measuring up to 4.5 cm long flare in multiple directions, creating a pleasing three-dimensional specimen, which have good luster and that deep enticing color. When backlit, you can see that the crystals have a bit of gemminess internally, revealing a beautiful intense hue. The piece is highlighted by small semi-spherical aggregates of lavender colored "Lepidolite" Mica (which is no longer a valid species, but the name seems to have endured), creating a touch of contrast to this already colorful and eye-catching specimen. The main crystal is in fine condition, though there are a few areas of interrupted/contacted growth on some of the other smaller Tourmalines. Beautiful and rare from this locality, and certainly alluring to any fan of Tourmalines, pegmatite minerals or minerals of Brazil.
Valued $6,000.
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 2566. Jack was born May 18, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, but has been a long-time resident of San Francisco. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the world encompassing over 3,200 specimens with a specific emphasis on color, quality, and style/aesthetics, which is evident in every piece. He admired specimens of all sizes from thumbnails to large cabinets and the vast majority of them rank from fine to world-class in their quality.
Above all else, Jack is considered to be the greatest gentleman in the modern era of mineral collecting. He is beloved by all those who have met him, and he truly is one of the most iconic figures in the mineral world. We recently acquired Jack's collection, and the VAST majority of these pieces will be offered here in the auctions, as we feel that everyone deserves and equal opportunity at acquiring these important, well-documented and fine quality pieces for their collections. We are honored to have the opportunity to offer Jack's treasures to everyone on a regular basis in the auctions.
We encourage you to read our blog post at https://www.irocks.com/the-jack-halpern-collection or his profile on the Mineralogical Record website https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/halpernjack/ for more information