Tourmaline and Quartz (floater!)

Item Description

This large and dramatic crystal is from an unusual discovery perhaps in the early 2010s, from the famous Paprok pegmatite region of Afghanistan. It not only has multiple colors, but the colors are markedly different in different modes of lighting. It is, shockingly, pristine AND complete all around. The number of crystals of this size, in such condition, that have come out over the last 30 years....well, it is not a large number. At nearly 6 inches and 3.3 pounds in weight (1468 grams), it is truly a monster, and one with unique style. Gene Meieran built one of the most important collections of Afghani minerals in the heyday of production from the 1980s through 2010, and still continues to add to the collection even as he lets go of some matrix pieces today to focus on large single crystals from the region. Lastly, this IS a matrix specimen but a special kind of matrix specimen in that it is a "floater" - complete all around and somehow formed in a pocket with no point of attachment! It is remarkable, with no repairs or restorations. When lit well, it has a mix of interesting strong colors and the problem is really only deciding how to display it as it looks good, up, down, and horizontally. Photos show different intensities of lighting.  It sits beautifully in either vertical orientation (and comes with a special base displaying it as a vertical). But you can argue about which display more suits which personal taste all day long - the best kind of argument to have about a major display tourmaline. Valued by Gene in the $40-50,000 range.