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Tourmaline Specimens
Tourmalines are gems with an incomparable variety of colours. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend,
is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the centre of the Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed
all the colours of the rainbow. And that is why it is still referred to as the 'gemstone of the rainbow' today.
The name
tourmaline comes from the Singhalese words 'tura mali'. In translation, this means something like 'stone with mixed colours',
referring to the colour spectrum of this gemstone, which outdoes that of all other precious stones. There are tourmalines
from red to green and from blue to yellow. They often have two or more colours. There are tourmalines which change their colour
when the light changes from daylight to artificial light, and some show the light effect of a cat's eye. No two tourmalines
are exactly alike. This gemstone has an endless number of faces, and for that reason it suits all moods. No wonder that magical
powers have been attributed to it since ancient times. In particular, it is the gemstone of love and of friendship, and is
said to render them firm and long-lasting.
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Well-formed, double-terminated, very, very dark brown crystal from Luc Ben, Viet Nam. Approx. size: 34x2018
Weight: 20 grams.
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Green (verdelite) and pink (rubellite) tourmaline surround milky quartz on the specimen from Yen
Bai, Viet Nam. Very interesting specimen from this classic location. Approx. size: 30x18x17 Weight: 47 cts.
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Beautiful rubellite from Yen Bai, Vietnam. The tourmaline is surrounding a chunk of quartz. Comes mounted
in a 1½" perky box. Approx. size: 30x16x14 Weight: 39.5 cts.
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Matchless verdelite with a multiple termination from the Kunar Mine in Afghanistan. This wonderful specimen has
an almost metallic glow from the inside when the sunlight is reflected correctly. I faintly captured this
extraordinary effect in the photo on the right. Approx. size: 14x12x9 Weight: 15.7 cts.
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Another beautiful verdelite from the Kunar Mine in Afghanistan. This on also has that unique metallic-like glow
from the inside. Mounted in a 1½" perky box. Approx. size: 28x8x7 Weight: 11 cts.
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Attractive little specimen of black schorl tourmaline attached to a delicate flower-like formation of albite from Stak
Nala, Pakistan. There is also drusy albite across the termination of the tourmaline crystal. Very showy specimen!
Mounted in a 1½" perky box. Approx. size: 24x23x18 Weight: 9.33 grams.
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Wonderful, tapered naturally terminated verdelite from the Kunar Mine in Afghanistan. Approx. size: 28x5x5
Weight: 1.66 grams.
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Very pretty little piece of schorl covered in albite "petals" from Stak Nala, Pakistan. Approx. size: 31x17x16
Weight: 7.23 grams
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This is an impressive little display piece from Stak Nala, Pakistan with a well-formed schorl crystal with
a very, very thin termination of indicolite, resting on a beautifully contrasting piece of milky quartz. Approx. size:
38x16x25 Weight: 15.2 grams
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Charming rubellite crystals lying in situ throughout contrasting milky quartz from the Kunar Valley in Afghanistan.
Approx. size: 52x31x33 Weight: 58.4 grams
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Very light pink tourmaline crystal bordering on achroite with a very nearly colorless center resting on
crystalline quartz. Collected in the Kunar Valley of Afghanistan. Mounted in a 1½" perky box. Approx.
size: 28x15x24 Weight: 8.4 grams
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Handsome specimen from Stak Nala, Pakistan of what looks like verdelite covered by a layer of colorless achroite attached
to feathery blades of albite. Magnificent! Mounted in a 1½" perky box. Approx. size: 19x23x10 Weight:
3.8 grams
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Supreme, petite, bi-shade indicolite from Stak Nala, Pakistan. Mounted in a 1½" perky box. Approx. size:
15x5x4 Weight: 3.25 ct.
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Well-formed naturally terminated bi-color black and green crystal from the Kunar Mine, Afghanistan. Approx. size:
36x9x8 Weight: 21 cts.
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Honestly, I considered keeping this astonishing piece from Stak Nala, Pakistan for myself, but I decided to go ahead
and put it up for sale anyway. This incredible piece has two terminated bi-color tourmalines, one lying across
the face of the other's termination. Both crystals are sprinkled with a light druse of albite across their very tops.
Incredible piece! Approx. size: 33x13x15 Weight: 10.8 grams
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Petite, tabular, gemmy verdelite crystal from Nigeria, Africa. Mounted in a 1½" perky box. Approx. size:
11x5x2.5 Weight: .46 cts.
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Bright green verdelite from Minas Gerais, Brazil mounted in a 1½" perky box. Approx. size: 22x11x9 Weight:
12.9 cts.
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Nice specimen of in situ rubbellite crystals from the Animikie Red Ace pegmatite near Florence, Wi. The most complex
and largest pegmatite in the Hoskins Lake pegmatite field. Collecting is no longer allowed at this location and I was
lucky to acquire several specimens that were collected years ago when it was still permitted. Approx. size: 76x51x32
Weight: 168 grams
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Another rubellite specimen from the Animikie Red Ace pegmatite located near Florence, Wi. This pegmatite was the
subject of an article in 2010 in Rock & Gem magazine. Unfortunately, collecting is no longer allowed here.
Approx. size: 88x32x51 Weight: 118.2 grams.
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This specimen is about as good as it gets from this now closed location near Florence, Wi. Collected from the Animikie
Red Ace pegmatite, this is becoming a much sought after material for collecters of minerals from Wisconsin, or the Midwest.
Approx. size: 104x74x51 weight: 409 grams
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Nice block of smokey quartz with beautiful pink rubellite crystals from the now restricted Animikie Red Ace pegmatite
near Florence, Wi. This material is almost impossible to find nowadays! Approx. size: 69x68x37 Weight: 264
grams
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Not only does this material from the Animikie Red Ace pegmatite make handsome specimens, but it also cuts and polishes
into incredible cabochons. Approx. size: 74x70x52 Weight: 292 grams
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$35.00
Sold!
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Another wonderful specimen of rubellite crystals embedded in smokey quartz that can also be used as cabbing
rough from the Animikie Red Ace pegmatite, Florence, Wi. Approx. size: 100x72x52 Weight: 407 grams
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Unique palm-sized piece of the Animikie Red Ace pegmatite from near Florence, Wi. with crystals of rubellite running
through smokey quartz. Approx. size: 83x22x39 Weight: 76.2 grams
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$10.00
Sold!
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