OB16A-16
Tourmaline and Albite var. Cleavelandite
Stak Nala, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Miniature, 5.1 x 2.6 x 2.5 cm
Ex. Herb Obodda
SOLD
This is a very impressive specimen from Stak Nala, the most famous Tourmaline locality in Pakistan, and likely from the find in the Fall of 2005. For years I have seen Tourmaline specimens from Stak Nala and the one characteristic of that many of them lacked was decent color. This crystal features several colors ranging from a deep forest green to a beautiful grass green to a totally clear and colorless termination. To top it off, there is a nice rosette of bladed Albite crystals sitting aesthetically on the side of the specimen. The termination is excellent, and has the trigonal 'Mercedes' pattern famously seen on the Erongo Schorls. The prism of the Tourmaline is exceptionally lustrous for this material, with good striations. What really makes it for me, though, is the grass green zone near the clear termination, The contrast is beautiful, and the very sharp, dark green banding in the main crystal and the sidecars are aesthetic knockouts! This is a great display piece and a wonderful pegmatite specimen from a classic locality. These piece are becomingly increasingly difficult to find in today's market.