Tourmaline (unusually ''curved'' crystals) (old classic) (ex David Burgess Collection)

Item Description

A really cool old specimen from this uncommon locality in Massachusetts featuring a few crystals of jet-black Schorl Tourmaline measuring up to 4.3 cm sitting on a matrix composed of cream colored Microcline with dark crystalline Smoky Quartz and minor Muscovite. The Tourmaline crystals have good surface luster and well-defined striations, but the most noteworthy characteristic of a few of these crystals is that they are visibly "bent". Now this phenomenon is not common in most mineral species, but it is observed in Tourmaline from occurrences around the world. The largest crystal on this piece is clearly "bent", along with a smaller crystal on the side of the piece. This bending of the crystals takes place when the crystal is growing, but there is a disruption in the pocket (either from tectonic activity or some other outside force), and the crystal essentially breaks and "heals" itself (like a broken bone in a cast) and then keeps growing in the new direction. You can actually see what could be called "scars" on the main Tourmaline crystals where it was "healed" and started regrowing. We've only had a few pieces over the years labeled as coming from Chesterfield, so don't miss out on this one if you're a fan of Tourmalines, pegmatite minerals, or specimens from New England. This piece comes from the worldwide collection of David Burgess (1951-2016). David was a prolific species collector from Newington, Connecticut, and the namesake for the extremely rare cobalt arsenate species Burgessite, which he discovered.