Tourmaline "cityscape", AMT exhibit piece

Item Description

This is a huge example, without repairs, of one of the rarest and most desirable style of tourmaline from the famous Himalaya Mine, collected by and from the long held personal collection of the mine owner, Bill Larson. At about a shocking pound in weight (397 grams), one of the largest known examples from this pocket of famous and totally unique San Diego tourmalines called by the locals "cityscapes" for the strange vertical patterns and etchings within, which makes some of them look like they enclose towers inside. Himalaya Mine has given us some really weird tourmalines, but these are in a class of their own and immediately recognizable in any collection if they turn up. This was one pocket in the 1980s, collected by Larson. He kept this for himself until we bought the company shop display collection in 2020, as not only one of the best but also the biggest complete crystal with no damage or repairs. It does not show as deep an etching pattern as others which makes them prone to breaking in portions, but that is because of the sheer size. Larson told me when I bought his display collection of Himalaya Mine material, assembled since the 1960s, that this was the largest unrepaired example from this particular pocket - which is why he kept it. Most of them etch in so deeply, that the caps just fall off, leaving the freestanding "towers" and creating even more of the cityscape look that is more evident than, in these smaller specimens. Furthermore, this remarkable crystal is a floater, complete and doubly terminated on both ends. Collected by, and from the important and long-held personal San Diego County Collection of William "Bill" Larson, longtime owner of the Himalaya Mine, discoverer of the famous Queen Mine BlueCap pocket, and numerous other San Diego mining projects over the last 60 years and more. This is a unique tourmaline from America, yes, but it is moreover unique in the larger world. This large Cityscape tourmaline is well known. It was in the American Minerals Treasures Exhibition in the oversized Himalaya Mine Case in 2008, in Tucson (see photos here - where it is clearly visible among many famous specimens chosen from the owner's own personal collection assembled over many decades of owning and mining in Southern California). It is therefore also pictured in the MR May/June 2008 edition on page 184 (lowest shelf second from right), in the book documenting that most important exhibition of American treasures of minerals that probably will ever be made. Owning ANY AMT-exhibit piece is considered a prize, now, 15 years after the exhibition made its impact at the most memorable Tucson show exhibition of my life. Owning one from the mine owner, from a significant case and exhibit such as Himalaya Mine, that is another level from some random specimen. This is large, showy, colorful, important, and with provenance directly to the owner of the mine in which it was found, who himself kept it since the 1980s until now: kept in his personal collection of nearly 40 years, that says a lot about how he valued it! Valued at $20k-plus. This is simply not replaceable.