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This Specimen has been sold.
HERE ARE SOME OTHER SIMILAR FOSSILS FOR SALE
1.2" Bicolor Elbaite "Watermelon" Tourmaline - Afghanistan
This is a colorful, 1.2" long, bicolor elbaite (watermelon) tourmaline collected in Afghanistan, likely from Paprok in the Nuristan Province. The crystal displays the classic green exterior and red-pink interior.
It has been mounted to an acrylic display base for aesthetic presentation.
It has been mounted to an acrylic display base for aesthetic presentation.
About Watermelon Tourmaline
Watermelon tourmaline is one of the most visually distinctive varieties of tourmaline, named for its resemblance to a slice of watermelon. It typically displays a pink to red interior surrounded by a green outer rim, sometimes with a thin white or colorless band between the two. This striking color zoning occurs within a single crystal rather than from separate minerals, and when cut in cross-section, it reveals the iconic layered appearance that makes it especially prized in jewelry and by collectors.
It forms in pegmatites, which are coarse-grained igneous rocks created during the final stages of magma cooling. These environments are rich in elements like boron, lithium, and water that are essential for tourmaline growth. As the crystal develops, changes in the chemistry of the surrounding fluid lead to shifts in color. The inner pink zone forms first in a manganese-rich environment, while later growth occurs under conditions richer in elements like iron or chromium, producing the green outer layer. Because the crystal grows outward over time, it preserves these chemical changes as distinct color bands, essentially recording its formation history within its structure.
Watermelon tourmaline is one of the most visually distinctive varieties of tourmaline, named for its resemblance to a slice of watermelon. It typically displays a pink to red interior surrounded by a green outer rim, sometimes with a thin white or colorless band between the two. This striking color zoning occurs within a single crystal rather than from separate minerals, and when cut in cross-section, it reveals the iconic layered appearance that makes it especially prized in jewelry and by collectors.
It forms in pegmatites, which are coarse-grained igneous rocks created during the final stages of magma cooling. These environments are rich in elements like boron, lithium, and water that are essential for tourmaline growth. As the crystal develops, changes in the chemistry of the surrounding fluid lead to shifts in color. The inner pink zone forms first in a manganese-rich environment, while later growth occurs under conditions richer in elements like iron or chromium, producing the green outer layer. Because the crystal grows outward over time, it preserves these chemical changes as distinct color bands, essentially recording its formation history within its structure.
SPECIES
Tourmaline var. Elbaite
LOCATION
Cruzeiro Mine, São José da Safira, Minas Gerais, Brazil
SIZE
1.2" long
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#354931
