Tourmaline (old classic material) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

This is a wonderful thumbnail sized specimen from the classic locality for Tourmaline, the Isle of Elba (the namesake for the Tourmaline species Elbaite). This piece features a very sharp, highly lustrous, rather gemmy, multi-colored Tourmaline crystal showing a mix of black, green, yellow and pinkish-yellow zones. The classic "black cap" termination is a signature from Elba. It is probable that there are multiple species present within this crystal, as recent testing on this material has shown that many multicolor Tourmalines from Elba host more than one species (Elbaite, Foitite, Schorl, etc.) No damage outside of the base of the crystal where it was removed from the pocket wall. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#3831). Kay was a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017).