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Tourmaline from the USA
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

Chemistry:  NaLi_2.5Al_6.5(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 named 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:

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