FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Tobi]

What are your favourite TOURMALINE localities, varieties and habits? My favourites are:

- Bi- oder multi-coloured Elbaite from Brazil, Pakistan, Afghanistan (and of course the famous Bluecaps from California)
- Rubellite, Indicolite and Verdelite with vivid colours (from the same countries as mentioned above)
- Lustrous Schorl on white matrix from Pakistan

[rweaver]

In answer to your question any Tourmaline from San Diego County. These are just two of mine. The Blue Cap has been in my collection since it was mined, and the other one was self collected in the mine with John McLean and Josie Scripps 7/8/74.

[Jesse Fisher]

One of the first tourmaline specimens I ever acquired, an old one from the Himalaya Mine, San Diego. The piece likely dates from the Ralph Potter era in the 1950s and is typical of what was found on the north end of the property during that time.

[Peter Megaw]

I am fond of the Mexquitic Fluor-Buergerite locality material,,,because it is nearly unique and because of the lovely root-beer brown sheen shown by the well-formed crystals. The locality is considered "lost" by many but is known to the older locals in Mexquitic. It appears to be very thoroughly worked out

[Pete Richards]

A bit of an aside - Peter, is there buergerite from any other locality in the same general area, or in Mexico as a whole, for that matter?!

[Philippe Durand]

this one is from south of France.
It is not mine.

[Pete Richards]

I'm not inclined to turn my nose up at almost any decent elbaite crystal, but one of my favorite tourmalines is an emerald green vanadian uvite from Mogok, Myanmar. Unfortunately, I don't have an image of it.

Also neat, also unphotographed, are the squat red and green uvites from Brumado.

Finally, some neat elbaites from the Havey Quarry in Maine. Not large, but self-collected several years ago. The caps may be foitite, analyses pending.

[Roger Warin]

Hi,
Here is a elbaite crystal that I like.
While color changes are often zoned in the direction of elongation, this crystal is zoned by its final growth in scepter.

[Tobi]

Great piece, Roger!

[Roger Warin]

An elbaite of the type locality, Island of Elba.

[Tobi]

Awesome Paprok specimen, Roger!!!
And you're right, specimens from Elba are great:

[Jesse Fisher]

For those who don't need a lot of bright colors to get excited about their tourmaline, here's a nice schorl group from Pakistan.

[Tobi]

[Josele]

Here comes one that seems have inspired to architects:

[Roger Warin]

Another elbaite from the type locality, San Piero, Island of Elba

[Roger Warin]

What has become of the beautiful "Rose of Itatiaia"? (with cleavelandite).

[Tobi]

[Jordi Fabre]

More info in the always so useful Biographical Archive of the Mineralogical Record

[vic rzonca]

[Jean Sendero]

My favorite from Mexico. We do not see a lot of these older elbaite from Baja California. This one was acquired from Dave Bunk in September 2014 with other labels from collector Gene Laberge #519, November 1989 and dealers Mark and Jeannette Rogers.