Elbaite Tourmaline

A terrific miniature double terminated Elbaite Tourmaline from the Himalaya mine in Diego County, California, USA displaying splendid colour zoning and tectonic deformation.  The prism is triangular in cross section and measures 4.7 cm long, displaying distinct pale sage and leafy green bands terminating at one end in light candy pink.  Towards the pink end the crystal begins to slightly bend over, this zone being interrupted by successive naturally re-healed bands.  Such bending and re-healing is occasionally observed in Tourmaline where tectonic events such as earthquakes have fractured the crystal causing it to distort under gravity.  A lovely example from the Himalaya mine.