2" Black Tourmaline (Schorl), Goshenite & Smoky Quartz - Namibia

Black Tourmaline (Schorl), Goshenite & Smoky Quartz - Namibia #90693

Here is an association of black tourmaline (schorl), goshenite and smoky quartz, collected from the Erongo Mountains in Namibia.

Goshenite is a white to colorless variety of beryl.

Tourmaline is a crystalline boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Schorl, or black tourmaline, is the most common form of tourmaline, and has been used for everything from jewelry to piezoelectric guitar pickups.

Silicon Dioxide, also known as SiO2 or Quartz, is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust. Quartz crystals generally grow in silica-rich, hot watery solutions called hydrothermal environments, at temperatures between 100°C and 450°C, and usually under very high pressure. Quartz veins are formed when open fissures are filled with hot water during the closing stages of mountains forming, and can be hundreds of millions of years old.

Smoky quartz is a grey-brown to black variety of quartz. This common name is derived from from the appearance of smoke within the quartz crystal. Dependent on the location and the chemicals present during formation, smoky quartz can appear opaque black, however it’s typically translucent to some extent. It’s believed that the quartz gains this color from a combination of natural irradiation and aluminum impurities.

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