Tourmaline (tri-color) (20.68 grams) (ex Richard A. Kosnar Collection)

Item Description

Here we have a fantastic old time Tourmaline crystal dating back to the 1970s from the famous Cruzeiro Mine in Brazil. This beautiful tri-color prism features a classic pyramidal termination, with glassy luster on all sides and intense saturated color. The powerful deep cranberry Rubellite hue at the terminations grades into a slight colorless zone in the center of the crystal which concludes with a striking blue Indicolite color at the base. The piece is complete all the way around, and while there are a few small imperfections, there is no major damage of note (save the bottom where it was removed from the pocket). The piece isn't frosted or dull whatsoever, and almost look "wet" it's so lustrous. It is becoming rather difficult to obtain superb quality Tourmalines from many localities these days, as a lot of crystals end up being faceted into gemstones, but thankfully this beautiul miniature sized specimen has survived for many decades. Specimen weight is 20.68 grams. This piece comes from the collection of Richard A. Kosnar, the namesake for the phosphate Kosnarite, who had a strong presence importing minerals and gem material from Brazil in the 1970s. Valued at $1,250.