Tourmaline ("cat's eye" crystal) (ex Rolando Gioia Collection)

Item Description

This piece did not have a specific mine given for the locality, and as Rock Currier once said, "Trying to find an accurate locality for gem minerals in Brazil is like trying to pin down a moonshiner's still", so we're forced to simply leave it at Minas Gerais. With that said, it's a very attractive thumbnail featuring a dark-green color Tourmaline crystal that has been altered in the center showing a nearly white fibrous "cat's eye" effect. The piece is essentially a complete "floater" as I can't find any damage of note and it's crystallized all the way around. Very attractive and UNUSUAL. A great piece to add to a Brazilian suite, a thumbnail collection or a collection of Tourmaline crystals. From the collection of Rolando Gioia (a contributor to new definitive book on Brazilian minerals: "Minerais e Pedras Preciosas do Brasil").