Tourmaline on Quartz (Mined: December 2023)

Item Description

A nice matrix Tourmaline specimen from the recent mining by Bill Larson / Pala International at the famed Tourmaline King Mine in San Diego County. This historic locality has produced some of the most iconic Tourmalines from any mine in the area, and dates back to the early 1900s. The "King" Mine gained early famed during this time for its "walk-in pocket”, which according to the entry on mindat.org states, "upon excavation extended nearly 30 feet in length, averaging 10 feet in width, and continuous for up to 30 feet down dip. It was said that this single pocket zone when thoroughly exhausted, produced nearly 8 tons of pink tourmaline". With that said, the mine is active today and currently producing more Tourmalines. This piece hosts a pair of gemmy, light green colored prismatic crystals measuring up to 2.3 cm, sitting on a partial, light smoky colored Quartz crystal. One of the crystals have a perfect basal termination, while the other is contacted on both ends. A nice reference piece for any fan of Tourmalines or San Diego County material, and it was mined in December of 2023, so it's only been out of the ground for a year.