Tourmaline

Item Description

This nearly 2-pound tourmaline crystal is actually a dramatic example of parallel growth in tourmaline, where for some reason a single large crystal takes root but then splits into multiple terminations, all of which follow a "nearly parallel" path to development. So they share a "root" and yet have diverging terminations. Also, the crystal is lovely for the strong glassy shine and luster. It is pastel in color, not strongly colored obviously - but in this case, this is also beautiful because it is so sparkly and has so many reflective terminations. The piece is not repaired, which is unusual in a crystal of this size. However it does show a geologic artifact called a "tectonic bend" in the middle, which causes a slight curvature of the crystal. As it grew, the process was interrupted or disrupted by movement of the pocket or the pocket wall, or the weight of the growing crystal, and it slipped a little bit out of true vertical! However, it did not break. The crystal just kept growing, although at a slight angle to the left, as if it curved during growth. The piece repositioned, and this leads to the illusion of a curved growth, and this geological event is marked by the horizontal line you see within. People call these a tectonic bending effect, in tourmalines, although we rarely see it from Afghanistan. It is common enough in material from San Diego, however. Some also call it a "break and reheal" although technically it did not break at all but just reoriented as it grew: it just looks like it broke and rehealed to continue, from the line. To summarize, a HUGE and interested, pastel, pretty tourmaline at a fair price!