Elbaite Tourmaline on Albite

A highly aesthetic pair of Elbaite Tourmaline crystals on snow-white Albite feldspar attached to a part crystal of Quartz from Stak Nala in the Haramosh Mountains of Skardu District, Pakistan.  The remote and rugged area around the village of Stak has become a classic locality for its multicoloured Elbaite crystals that occur in the miarolitic cavities of granite pegmatites. This specimen has two very different Elbaite crystals. The larger measures 6.8 x 2.0 x 2.0 cm and has a flat pinacoid termination; a light pink basal section, a deep bottle-green centre section and 8 mm long mid-lime-green cap. The smaller crystal measures 3.3 x 1.0 x 1.0 cm; has a light apple-green lower section and light candy-pink upper half with a triclinic pyramidal termination.  Blades of platy Albite, variety Cleavelandite, bind the Elbaite crystals together and are set off against the prism face of a broad, part section, light grey Quartz crystal. An excellent Elbaite group on Albite from Stak Nala.