Elbaite with Albite

specimen number:
9731007

location:
Himalaya Mine, San Diego Co., California, USA

description:
Classic California specimen, this a purplish red gemmy and lustrous terminated crystal of elbaite, white lustrous bladed albite scattered around the lower part of the crystal. Naturally healed on the base, this is in super condition all around. The crystal weighs 36.64 g.

The Himalaya Mine, located in the Mesa Grande District of San Diego County, California, is world-renowned for its prolific production of gemstone-quality pegmatite minerals. Formed during the Cretaceous period within the Southern California Batholith, the deposit consists of thin, gently dipping granitic pegmatite dikes rich in lithium, boron, and volatile elements that allowed large, well-formed crystals to develop inside pockets. Discovered in the late nineteenth century, the mine was intensively worked during the early twentieth century to supply high-grade pink and green tourmaline to China, where Empress Dowager Cixi had a immense passion for the gemstone. Following a period of inactivity after the Chinese Imperial Court collapsed, modern mining resumed under private operators who brought out world-class specimens of tourmaline, lepidolite, albite, quartz, and morganite. Today, the Himalaya Mine stands as one of the most iconic and historically significant mineral localities in North America, cherished by collectors for its vibrant gem tourmaline crystals on matrix.

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