Tourmaline on Muscovite

An excellent, double terminated Tourmaline crystal exhibiting a rich pale candy to fuchsia pink colour with green and dark blue zones on a matrix of flat parallel plates of silvery-orange-cream Muscovite mica. This large miniature/small cabinet specimen is from the Minh Tien mine in Yenbai Province, Vietnam and occurs in a Tourmaline bearing pegmatite. Although most likely Elbaite, both Liddicoatite and Rossmanite are reported from here. The Tourmaline itself is aesthetic because of its varied colours and double termination and, attached to the attractive plates of mica, really make it a choice specimen for the locality.