Elbaite Tourmaline

An impressive and eye-catching group of pink Elbaite Tourmaline crystals from a new gem pocket found in the Coronel Murta district of Minas Gerais in Brazil.  The tallest prisms stand 4 cm tall and are backed by a rich cluster of shorter prisms about half their height.  The prisms bifurcate then further sub-divide to produce multiple castellated terminations, which tend to be much more gemmy than their prism bodies.  The prisms grade through translucent and transparent complex mixes of cerise, coral, fuchsia and bubble gum pink and once back-lit, glow in a splendid assortment of shades and hues of pink.  Some crystals have naturally etched flat pinacoids with a frosted, pink-sucrosic texture.  All crystals, save for the etched terminations, have a fabulous bright glassy lustre.  No repairs have been made to this specimen and it is displayed nicely on a small colourless acrylic base.