Uvite Tourmaline (pleochroic purple and green) on Magnesite

Pomba Pit, Serra das Eguas, Brumado, Bahia, Brazil
Miniature, 4.7 x 4.0 x 1.7 cm
Start Time: 05/10/2018 6:45:00 pm (CDT)
End Time: 05/17/2018 6:45:00 pm (CDT)
Auction Closed

Item Description

Uvite Tourmaline is well-known from Brumado, and the crystals are typically tabular or stout in habit, showing pyramidal terminations, but they often don't show any form of pleochroism. THIS piece however hosts a few sharp, GEM quality, equant crystals of Uvite that actually show an unusuall pleochroism with a green hue one direction, and change to a PURPLE color when rotated 90 degrees. The crystals measure up to 3 mm, but if you look closely, you can see the chance in color. Additionally, there are small beige / golden crystals of Woodhouseite on the specimen, and they are sitting on typicaly white / colorless rhombic Magnesite matrix. Good quality and showy, combined with the uncommon physical proprety (for the locality), makes it a desirable specimen for a Tourmaline collector of anybody who likes Brazilian minerals.

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