Elbaite (Tourmaline) with Quartz

Off-matrix, yet piercing a small, very slightly smoky Quartz crystal, two divergent terminated Elbaite Tourmaline crystals form a V-shaped specimen of exceptional form and aesthetic from the world-famous Pederneira mine at São José da Safira, Minas Gerais, Brazil.  This mine featured in the Mineralogical Record’s January-February 2015 special issue together with an accompanying DVD.  Both Elbaite crystals are almost completely gemmy and measure 5.5 and 4.0 cm, respectively.  Their colour is a uniform chrome-leaf green and are surrounded by, and attached to, several smaller Elbaites.  The primary crystals have steep-sided pyramidal terminations with a frosted lustre while all prism faces have a brilliant glassy lustre.  The prism faces are deeply striated and the embedded Quartz crystal, which helps bind together the Elbaites, is terminated, albeit squashed between the enveloping Tourmalines!  A gorgeous spray of gem green Elbaite from the Pederneira mine, complete with a custom made clear acrylic base with a contour-milled recess.