Elbaite with Albite

specimen number:
2312038

location:
Minas Gerais, Brazil

description:
A beautiful specimen showing an albite crystal matrix, one side thickly covered in the other side partially covered with deep green crystals of elbaite to 5.5 cm in length. Most of these crystals have red internal cores, and are often called watermelon tourmaline. Very minimal damage present, this is in good condition.

The state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil contains one of the most famous pegmatite provinces in the world, associated with the Brasiliano orogeny and dating to the Neoproterozoic era around 500 to 600 million years ago. These complex granitic pegmatites intruded into older metamorphic rocks, forming large dikes where slow cooling and volatile-rich fluids allowed massive crystal growth within miarolitic cavities. Mining in the region began during the colonial era in the eighteenth century, initially focusing on gold and diamonds before shifting to gem-quality colored stones. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, commercial and artisanal mining operations extracted vast quantities of tourmaline, aquamarine, topaz, and spodumene, establishing Minas Gerais as a major global source for fine mineral specimens.

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