Mineral: Elbaite
Locality: Pederneira claim, São José da Safira, Governador Valadares, Vale do Rio Doce, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Dimensions: 14 x 9 x 17.5 cm / main crystal: 16.0 cm

Description: Mass: 656 g MIM number:1762 Floating set of tourmalines shaped as a bouquet consisting of a large central crystal surrounded by several small crystals with white albite plates and small crystals of purple lepidolite covering the base. All tourmalines display their flat termination and have a dominant green color with sometimes red cores ("watermelon" tourmaline) and some bluish tinge around the top. Contrary to what often happens for the samples from this mine, this one suffered no breakage or repair, and tourmalines were not acid etched to remove the microscopic crystals of quartz or tourmaline which cover them and often alter their gloss. Photographer: AINU / Augustin de Valence

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