Elbaite Tourmaline: Rubaya District, North Kivu Province, DR Congo (CT236)

Description

Locality: Rubaya Pegmatite District, Bahunde, Masisi Territory, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dimensions:  6 x 1.7 x 1.3 cm. (   23.34 grams)

Over the past several years, world-class, gem-quality tourmaline crystals have started to emerge in the gem and mineral marketplace from a new source- the Rubaya pegmatite district, located on the northwestern shores of Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These elbaite tourmaline crystals, found in highly-weathered, geochemically-fractionated LCT (Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum) pegmatites where Coltan (columbite-tantalite, a valuable ore of the element tantalum) has been mined artisanally for decades. In terms of quality, transparency and color spectrum, this find is arguable the most important tourmaline discovery of the past thirty years, and some experts place it on par with the greatest tourmaline discoveries of all time. What is certain is that the supply of these gorgeous, gemmy, lustrous, multi-color gem tourmaline crystals will come to a close as quickly as they seemingly appeared on the world market. I was lucky to recently obtain a large, exceptional parcel of these beautiful crystals directly from the source, and this is one such example, weighing 23.34 grams and measuring 6 cm tall. This is one of my favorites from this lot, a fully SCEPTERED floater crystal with a GEM pinkish-red body, really facet quality, with a striking clear cap complex termination. This superb crystal is doubly-terminated as well with amazing etch features on the main termination! Awesome gem crystal!! Mark Cross photo.