Elbaite

specimen number:
9851034

location:
Pala, San Diego Co., California, USA

description:

An attractive grouping of green and pink translucent lustrous elbaite crystals. Very slight micro-chipping present, this still in very good condition.

Pala, located in San Diego County, California, is one of the most famous gemstone-producing districts in the United States, with a history of mining beginning primarily in the late 19th century and peaking with intensive tourmaline and kunzite extraction around the turn of the 20th century. Geologically, the area is part of the Southern California Batholith, characterized by complex granitic and pegmatite dikes that intruded into older metamorphic rocks, creating volatile-rich environments ideal for forming rare minerals. The district gained international fame for producing world-class colored tourmaline, pink beryl known as morganite, and the type material for the lithium gemstone kunzite, drawing both commercial mining operations and mineral collectors to sites like the Stewart Mine and the Himalaya Mine.

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