Tourmaline is a family of related minerals,
all having the same basic crystal structure but varying
widely in chemical composition. The
Tourmaline family includes Achroite
(colorless),
Bi-Color (usually pink and green, also blue and green), Blue, Blue-Green, Cat's Eye, Chrome
Green, Dravite (brown to black), Elbaite (wide variety
of colors),
Green, Indicolite (blue), Orange, Paraiba (blue, blue-green;
containing copper), Pink, Rubellite (Ruby red
to pink),
Schorl
(black), Siberite
(lavender), Watermelon (green and pink) and other colors
and types. Elbaite is the most common type of Tourmaline
found the gem trade. It is found in a wide variety of
colors. Most Tourmaline gems are Elbaite. The piezoelectric
and pyroelectric effects are
present in Tourmaline.
Tourmaline
is found at quite a few locations across the USA. Here
is a list of the most notable Tourmaline locations in
the USA:
- Anita Mine, Red
Mountain, Cahuilla District, Riverside Co., California, USA
- Juan Diego Mine, Juan Diego
Flat, Cahuilla District, Riverside Co., California, USA
- Lithia Dike Mine, Cahuilla Mountain,
Cahuilla District, Riverside Co., California, USA
- Cota Mine, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co.,
California, USA
- Esmeralda Mine, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co.,
California, USA
- Himalaya Mine, Mesa
Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA
- Elizabeth R. Mine, Chief Mountain, Pala District, San
Diego Co., California, USA
- Stewart Mine, Tourmaline Queen
Mountain, Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA
- Tourmaline King Mine, Tourmaline Queen Mountain, Pala
District, San Diego Co., California, USA
- Tourmaline Queen Mine, Tourmaline Queen Mountain, Pala
District, San Diego Co., California, USA
- Little Three Mine, Ramona District, San Diego Co.,
California, USA
- Carmelita Mine, Warner Springs District, San Diego Co., California, USA
- Blue Lady Mine, Chihuahua Valley, Warner Springs District, San Diego Co.,
California, USA
- Cryo-Genie Mine, Warner Springs District, San Diego Co., California, USA
- Gillette Quarry, Haddam Neck, Haddam, Middlesex Co.,
Connecticut, USA
- Riverside Quarry, Middletown, Middlesex Co.,
Connecticut, USA
- Strickland Quarry, Portland, Middlesex Co., Connecticut,
USA
- Greenlaw mine, Auburn, Androscoggin Co., Maine, USA
- Hatch Ledge locality, Auburn, Androscoggin Co., Maine,
USA
- Mt. Apatite, Auburn, Androscoggin Co., Maine, USA
- Turner Mine, Auburn, Androscoggin Co., Maine, USA
- Oak Hill, Standish, Cumberland Co., Maine, USA
- Bennett mine, Buckfield, Oxford Co.,
Maine, USA
- Harvard Mine, Greenwood, Oxford Co., Maine, USA
- Tamminen Mine, Greenwood, Oxford Co.,
Maine, USA
- Dunton Quarry, Newry, Oxford Co., Maine, USA
- Martin Quarry, Newry, Oxford Co.,
Maine, USA
- Mt Mica mine, Paris, Oxford Co., Maine, USA
- Black Mt. mines , Rumford, Oxford Co.,
Maine, USA
- Harvard Cut, Georgetown, Sagadahoc Co., Maine, USA
- Fisher mine, Topsham, Sagadahoc Co., Maine, USA
- Clark Ledges pegmatite locality, Chesterfield, Hampshire
Co., Massachusetts, USA
- Chickering Mine, Walpole, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire,
USA
- Ray Mica Mine, Hurricane Mt., Burnsville,
Spruce Pine District, Yancey Co., North Carolina,
USA
- Shamrock No. 1 Lode Mine, Custer, Custer District,
Custer Co., South Dakota, USA
- Bob Ingersoll Mine, Keystone, Keystone District, Pennington Co., South Dakota,
USA
- Hugo Mine, Keystone, Keystone District, Pennington Co.,
South Dakota, USA
Of
these locations the most well known is the Himalaya Mine
in San Diego County, California famous for its
often gemmy Elbaite Tourmaline crystals in many colors
including pinks, rubellites, greens, blues and colorless.
The actractive, gemmy specimens from this mine are usually
collected by mineral collectors and rarely available
for faceting.
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