Elbaite Tourmaline with Albite

A different looking Elbaite Tourmaline from a new gem pocket in the Coronel Murta district of Minas Gerais, Brazil, capped with radiating blades of white Albite Feldspar.  The 4 cm tall Elbaite prism is asymmetric in cross-section, with two highly lustrous curved prism faces and one broader, flat face with a silky lustre and dusted with micro-Albite crystals of 1 mm and under.  The steep-sided pyramidal termination is largely masked by a spray of lustrous, glassy Albite crystals of the variety Cleavelandite, with crystals up to 1.7 cm long, forming a semi-glistening cap.  All three prism faces are vertically striated while the prism is a mix of gemmy and translucent feathered zones varying from hot cerise to bubble gum pink.  No repairs have been made to this specimen and it is nicely displayed on a small colourless acrylic base.