Elbaite Tourmaline (double terminated)

This charming thumbnail Elbaite Tourmaline is double terminated, forming a small, sceptred prism, is from a new gem pocket found in the Coronel Murta district of Minas Gerais in Brazil.  The sceptre head is a prism 1.3 cm tall by 1.5 x 1.0 cm, which grades from translucent candy-pink to semi-transparent, partly gemmy, cerise and rich cranberry.  The sceptre staff is, of course, narrower than the head and is translucent to opaque bubble gum-pink.  The head is composed of several intergrown Elbaite prisms that merge to form one crystal, elongated in cross-section.  No repairs have been made to this specimen and it is nicely displayed on a small colourless acrylic base.