Watermelon Tourmaline (RARE old San Diego Co.) Osborn & Larson Coll.

Item Description

VERY RARE and outstanding old bi-colored tourmaline from the obscure San Diego Mine (yes, that s actually its name!), somewhat adjacent to the famed Himalaya Mine to the south and perhaps in the same dike system. The pristine, gemmy/translucent, glassy, lustrous, layered trigonal crystal is a watermelon tourmaline. The body is classic "Himalaya pink" and a has a striking partial light green termination and green prism edge. A subtle green rind encases the crystal. The piece was collected by well-known California field collector and collector, Phil Osborn in the 1960s to mid-1980s, when Eugene Rynerson operated the mine. See MINDAT: https://www.mindat.org/loc-6785.html and the fine 2002 Mineralogical Record article in Vol. 33, No. 5 for more information on this less well-known locale. Ex Bill Larson San Diego County Pegmatite Collection and long on display at his Pala International shop in Fallbrook. 19 grams mass. A significant and RARE watermelon tourmaline from the San Diego Mine.