Tourmaline (multi-color crystals) with Albite

Item Description

This is a lovely and aesthetic miniature sized Tourmaline specimen from the most famous Tourmaline locality in Pakistan. It's important to remember that all of the major Tourmaline localities are in Afghanistan, so there isn't much in the way of really great Tourmaline locales in Pakistan, outside of Stak Nala. This piece features two distinct Tourmaline crystals, in both style and coloring. The Stak Nala pieces are famous for their polychrome appearance, and these crystals show a great mix of colors. The larger of the two crystals has a narrow "Achroite" (colorless) zone than runs for a thin portion of the prism, along with a very thin area on the terminations that grades into an vibrant green hue, then into a yellowish color, and eventually it goes to a very dark brownish-green / black color throughout the rest of the crystals. The small Tourmaline has a more traditional layered color zoning with the same colorless "cap", then green, yellow and the very dark brownish-green color at the base. The Tourmalines are intergrown with attractive white bladed Albite ("Cleavelandite") crystals for a really great touch. No major damage, and very attractive in person. Valued $850.
From the collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman. Dave is now retired, but among other things, he was the foreman and primary person in charge of recovering specimens at the famous Sweet Home Mine near Alma, Colorado during the late 1970s. He is also the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. See Dave's photo mining at the Sweet Home on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".