Schorl Tourmaline (RARE Virginia locality!)

Item Description

An INCREDIBLY rare Schorl Tourmaline crystal from an unlikely locality. The piece is labeled as coming from Powhatan County, Virginia, USA and is possibly from the US Highway 60 roadcut near Flat Rock as referenced in the book "Minerals of Virginia" by Richard Vincent Dietrich (1990). I've never seen another example of this material, and frankly, it's BETTER than anything I would have imagined coming from Virginia. The crystal could easily pass for Brazil, Namibia, or countless other world localities where fine Schorl crystals have been found. It's complete on all sides, only contacted at the base where it was detached from the pocket, and the trigonal termination along with the prism faces are smooth and lustrous. There is a bit of superficial roughness here and there, but it's more than forgivable considering this is a major crystal from a state not known for its Tourmalines. This is definitely Schorl, as I put a strong light behind it, and there was no internal gemminess, it's jet black and opaque. A remarkable specimen and a must have for any fan of Tourmaline crystals, US or Virginia minerals, or simply esoteric and fine quality examples of minerals from unlikely localities. It's impossible to put a fair market value on a piece as unique as this, but I can promise you may not have a chance to buy another one for a long time, so don't miss out.