Elbaite Tourmaline var. Indicolite

This stunning blue and green Elbaite Tourmaline is from the little known Mutuca mine, yet close to Santa Rosa where the Santa Rosa mine is famous for many coloured varieties of Elbaite.  This mining district is within the famous gem state of Minas Gerais in Brazil.  This ex. matrix Elbaite prism measures 5.7 x 2.8 x 2.4 cm and terminates with a shallow angled multi-faced pyramid, whose alternating faces are frosted and then naturally etched to reveal growth patterns.  The body of the crystal is mainly gemmy while towards the termination various inclusions form a translucent to opaque cloud.  The colour is nothing short of exquisite, with an intense chrome green body terminating in a 1.5 cm deep indigo zone up to and including the termination.  Although labelled Indicolite for its blue colour, the remaining green part of the prism can equally be termed Verdelite.  Tourmaline is a complex mineral where one species or variety can morph into another within the same crystal.  This is a beautiful and show stopping Elbaite from Santa Rosa in Brazil.