Tourmaline in Feldspar ex Obodda, Larson

Item Description

One large "button" of raspberry pink Elbaite and numerous smaller ones decorate the top of this colorful altered Feldspar matrix. The "buttons" are essentially hemispherical termination-only tops of "mushroom" Tourmaline scattered atop the contrasting Feldspar. All of them are translucent and glassy and scintillate from the numerous composite crystal terminations which makes them resemble juicy little candies. This is not an exaggeration! It is sparkling and gorgeous...a contrasty and showy piece. And Bill did not buy this one in Burma, LOL, but rather he bought it from me back in 2008 when I bought the Herb Obodda collection, and so it is from the collections of both of these crazy legendary world-traveling dealers. This is a unique, gorgeous, interesting piece...it just checks all the boxes, and it happens to be pretty. 

NOTE ADDED: Although it may or may not affect value to consider this, the Tourmalines in the auctions from the Palelni Mine may be NOT JUST Elbaite according to mindat.org - the main products are the locally called "mushroom" rubellite tourmalines. Another type of rubellite is present under botryoidal shape - those with a smooth surface that have been analysed turned out as olenite; Olenite is a MUCH RARER than Elbaite.