Tourmaline Slice, Russia

Russia

A stunning cross-section of a Rubellite Tourmaline crystal from Russia, the focus of this translucent slice is the triangular magenta core and its distinct "arms" extending to the clear Tourmaline layer. A thin layer of green Tourmaline forms the rim of this specimen, mimicking a slice of watermelon. This Tourmaline cross-section has been polished to a glassy finish on both sides.

Elbaite is a form of tourmaline and is perhaps the most multicolored mineral. It has been discovered in virtually every color of the spectrum and has dramatically increased in popularity since the 1990s. While specimens are commonly faceted into gemstones, most high quality crystals are left as is, or are cut and sold as cross-sectional slices.

Elbaite has a variety of names (classic and modern) depending on the colors it presents, including achroite (colorless variety), blue cap tourmaline, chrome tourmaline (green variety caused by chromium impurities), fluor-elbaite, indicolite (blue variety), Moor's head tourmaline, mushroom tourmaline, Paraiba tourmaline, rubellite (pink-red variety), siberite (purple variety), verdelite (green variety), and watermelon tourmaline (green exterior with red interior).