Elbaite with Albite

specimen number:
1052499

location:
Stak Nala, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

description:
Classic example of elbaite from this Pakistani locality. Bicolored very dark green gemmy pink terminated crystal of elbaite with albite crystals in association. This is in good condition.

Stak Nala in Pakistan, located in the Gilgit Baltistan region, is part of a well known area of granitic pegmatites that has produced a wide variety of gem and mineral specimens. The geology is characterized by highly evolved pegmatitic bodies intruded into metamorphic host rocks, where slow cooling and fluid rich conditions allowed for the formation of large and well developed crystals. Mining and collecting in the area has been carried out on a small scale, often by local miners working narrow pegmatite dikes and pockets at high elevations. Among the notable minerals from Stak Nala is elbaite, a lithium rich tourmaline that occurs as elongated prismatic crystals displaying a range of colors including green, pink, and multicolored zoning. These crystals formed in late stage pockets within the pegmatite, where conditions favored complex chemical variation and crystal growth, making the locality an important source of fine tourmaline specimens.

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