FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[John S. White]

Are not the more recent tourmalines Alan Hart is referring to that are similar to the one shown in Gail's photos that is illustrated in Sowerby from Burma and not Viet Nam?


Hi John, the Burmese material I am familiar with tends towards a richer rubellite colour, this is the specimen I saw that me me think 'wow a mini Symes rubellite', very similar in colour and form. Unless of course the locality is 'wrong'.

[Gail]

The huge old tourmaline was from Siam , ( AVA) (now Burma and Thailand)

[Gail]

[John S. White]

I understand that, but I was referring to the new material that is similar in appearance that Alan Hart said was from Viet Nam. I feel quite certain that it is also from Burma, very likely the same general area as the antique piece in the photos.

[Gail]

and let's continue...

Matlockite from the Ludlam collection. From old workings in the lead mines around Cromford, Derybshire. Thick tabular crystals for the species, which also occur in thinner masses or radiating spherulitic aggregates with galena etc

[Gail]

61 and 62 above is Chlinoclase.

[Alan.Hart]

Hi John, yes the Burma material seems to tend a lot more toward rubellite colour, the specimen I saw which was distinctly similar was being sold by Wayne Leicht - I have an image somewhere and will try and upload it. It could be however that my memory is playing tricks on me - be interesting to see......

[Gail]

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[Gail]

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[Jesse Fisher]

The habit of the "Sowerby" tourmaline is very much like some of the recent material from Yen Bai, about 100 km NE of Hanoi, in Vietnam. The tourmaline from these pegmatites is polychrome, and I have seen colors ranging from pale pink to deep to green. I have a fairly large one that is roughly similar to the NHM one except that the a pink interior has been covered with a thin surface layer of dark green.

I also have a tourmaline, reportedly from the Momeik area, near Mogok, which is a pale yellow-pink color and has a brush-like habit with multiple terminations. The overall appearance of the Vietnamese tourmalines is much closer, however.

[Gail]

Hart. This one had quite an impact, large slab of azurite from Chessy, France. Again another wall case specimen out for conservation work. Great lustre, crystals up to 3.5cm on edge.

[Gail]

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[Montanpark]

Absolutely stunning Gail .. the Chessy azurite makes me drool .. and the other specimens too. I certainly envy you for that trip ...

[Les Presmyk]

Dick Bideaux once told me that if you want to see the best specimen, go to the Smithsonian. If you want to see the next 19, go to the British Museum. These photos certainly support that statement. THank you for sharing. This is in my top 10 things to do.

[John S. White]

Jesse, I guess my confusion comes from the fact that I have seen and/or have owned many pink mushroom-shaped elbaites described as coming from Momeik, Burma (Myanmar). The source of at least some of these was Dudley Blauwet.