Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
trigonalcommonSilicates
Tourmaline
Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 (general, complex silicate)
This specimen features a well-formed, prismatic crystal of tourmaline, exhibiting a vibrant pink to reddish hue. The crystal shows characteristic striations along its length and appears to be terminated.
Tourmaline Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
7Crystal System
trigonalLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
indistinctFracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
3.06Colors
pink, red, green, blue, yellow, brown, black, colorlessTransparency
transparentType Locality
Barra de Salinas district, Barra de Salinas, Coronel Murta, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, BrazilMineral Group
SilicatesUses
jewelry, collector, piezoelectric applicationsAssociated Minerals
quartz, feldspar, lepidolite, beryl, spodumeneRarity
commonGeological Context
Tourmaline typically forms in igneous and metamorphic rocks, particularly in granites, granite pegmatites, and schists. It is often found in hydrothermal veins and can be an accessory mineral in various rock types.
