ELBAITE ON STILBITE

Tourmaline and stilbite make for an uncommon combination in the mineral world, and this piece makes for a great looking example! A richly colored crystal of rubellite measuring to cm is contrasted with a backdrop of tan stilbite crystals, with some white albite and purple sheeted crystals of the polylithionite-trilithionite series (formerly referred to as lepidolite). One end of the tourmaline has a “standard” flat termination, with the other being heavily etched to show a more pointed tip, and the whole specimen displays elegantly.     More info: This association of elbaite and stilbite occurs at the Himalaya Mine within lithium-enriched granitic pegmatites. The mineralization sequence demonstrates a transition from primary pegmatitic to late-stage hydrothermal conditions, producing distinctive specimens featuring prismatic tourmaline crystals in association with radiating stilbite aggregates. The crystallization process involved lithium-boron-rich pegmatitic fluids followed by lo