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Tourmaline from the USA
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

   

Tourmaline from the USA

Chemistry:  NaLi2.5Al6.5(BO3)3O18(OH)4

Discovered in 1913 (Elbaite);   IMA status: Valid (Elbaite) (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
The name Tourmaline is from the Singhalese word tourmali, meaning mixed colored stones because Tourmalines were often confused with other gems, especially Zircon gems. Elbaite is n
amed after the Type Locality area of the island of Elba, Italy.

 

Classification

   

   

Mineral Classification:

Silicates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

8/E.19-10

 

8 : Silicates
E : Cyclosilicates, triplet rings [Si3O9]6-
19 : Tourmaline group

 

 

Crystal Data

   

   

Crystallography:

Trigonal - Ditrigonal Pyramidal

Crystal Habit:

Crystals prismatic to acicular, with prominent trigonal prism and pyramid, to 1.6 m, commonly hemimorphic. Also radial, fibrous, and massive.

Twinning:

Rare

 

 

Physical Properties

   

 

Cleavage:

[1120] & [1011] Poor, Indistinct

Fracture:

Uneven to Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

7.0 - 7.5

Density:

3.06 - 3.08 (g/cm3)

Luminescence:

Weak

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

Piezoelectric, pyroelectric

 

 

Optical Properties

   

   

Color:

Red to Pink, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow, Colorless.

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Vitreous to Resinous

Refractive Index:

1.623 - 1.657  Uniaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.031

Dispersion:

0.017

Pleochroism:

Varies per color variety

 

 

Occurances

   

   

Geological Setting:

In lithium-rich granites, granite pegmatites, and some metamorphic rocks; in high-temperature hydrothermal veins; detrital in sediments.

Type Locality:

(Elbaite) Fonte del Prete, San Piero in Campo, Campo nell'Elba, Elba Island, Livorno Province, Tuscany, Italy

Year Discovered:

1913 (Elbaite)

View mineral photos:

Tourmaline Mineral Photos and Locations

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Mindat.org  (Elbaite)
Webmineral.com  (Elbaite)

 

 


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.
 

  
USA Tourmaline gems for sale:

We have not photographed our USA Tourmaline gems yet. Please check back soon!
 



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