{"title":"Elbaite","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElbaite\u003c\/strong\u003e is the lithium-rich member of the \u003cstrong\u003etourmaline group\u003c\/strong\u003e, a cyclosilicate prized above all other tourmaline species for the sheer range of its color. Chemically it is a sodium-lithium-aluminum borosilicate, forming solid-solution series toward \u003cstrong\u003eschorl\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003edravite\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eliddicoatite\u003c\/strong\u003e; trace iron, manganese, chromium, and copper produce the pinks (rubellite), blues (indicolite), greens (verdelite), and the concentrically zoned pink-and-green crystals known as watermelon tourmaline. Crystals are trigonal, typically slender and striated prisms terminating in flat or convex pinacoids, and the mineral takes an excellent vitreous polish with no cleavage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe species was first described from the \u003cstrong\u003eRosina pegmatite\u003c\/strong\u003e near San Piero in Campo on the island of \u003cstrong\u003eElba\u003c\/strong\u003e, Italy, historic source of the classic black-capped \"Moor's Head\" tourmalines. Brazil's \u003cstrong\u003eMinas Gerais\u003c\/strong\u003e pegmatites — including the \u003cstrong\u003ePederneira mine\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eJonas mine\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eGolconda mine\u003c\/strong\u003e — remain the world's leading producer, while cuprian, neon-blue \"Paraíba\" elbaite from the \u003cstrong\u003eBatalha mine\u003c\/strong\u003e in Paraíba state commands the gem trade's highest prices. Other exceptional localities include the \u003cstrong\u003eHimalaya\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eTourmaline Queen\u003c\/strong\u003e mines of Pala, California; the Paprok and Mawi pegmatites of \u003cstrong\u003eNuristan\u003c\/strong\u003e, Afghanistan; \u003cstrong\u003eAnjanabonoina\u003c\/strong\u003e and the Sahatany field in Madagascar; the Malkhan pegmatite in Siberia; and mushroom-shaped elbaite from Mogok, Myanmar.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollectors seek elbaite for its unmatched color palette, sharp crystal habit, and gemmy transparency — qualities that make fine multicolor, watermelon, and Paraíba-type specimens among the most desirable pieces in any tourmaline collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/elbaite.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}