Tourmaline (OLD - RARE) Bill Larson Coll.

Item Description

Historically OLD, rare, perhaps UNIQUE, bi-colored tourmaline from this obscure pegmatite in Riverside County - the Anita (Sage) Mine. This fascinating glassy, lustrous, well-striated trigonal prism has a pretty layered multi-hued pink translucent body. The striking highly modified pinacoidal termination is gemmy yellow-green to light pink. The crystal glows, when back lit. One repair is noted, which is certainly acceptable in the context of old pegmatite species. Well-documented, the large card with piece, 15.1 x 10.5 cm, states the piece was purchased from well-known Paris dealer, Nérée Boubée II, in 1947. Additional documentation on the back states the piece was valued at $60 US in 1969 (expensive!) and was very rare. The mine was operated in the early 1900s for tourmaline for the China market, with very little further information until 1994. See MINDAT: https://www.mindat.org/loc-8455.html for further information on the mine. Ex Bill Larson Southern California Pegmatite Collection and long on display at his Pala International shop in Fallbrook. VERY RARE and excellent old-time documented tourmaline from the Sage Mine. 39 grams mass. Value today of such a well-documented piece???