ELBAITE

True eye candy of a tourmaline specimen: a large, doubly-terminated floater with vivid color zoning from end to end. At the top is a sharp termination with vibrant green coloration, which gradually fades to a more subtle blue-green hue. In the middle is a band of achroite (colorless tourmaline) which possesses gem clarity, giving way further down to another section of light blue color. Approaching the other end, the color turns to a rich pink, with another thin layer of green all the way on the flat termination. This crystal comes from newer finds in Nigeria, and the size and gemminess makes it a real standout.