Tourmaline - Specimen

Locality: Cruzeiro Mine, São José da Safira, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Small-scale mining for gem tourmaline began at Cruzeiro in 1914. Real mining started during World War II, when the mine produced more than half of the mica that Minas Gerais supplied to the Allies. After the war, work turned to gems, and Cruzeiro became one of the world's largest tourmaline producers.

The Cruzeiro mine lies about 13.5 km north of São José da Safira in east-central Minas Gerais. Its granitic pegmatite forms three steep, parallel dikes cutting quartzite, and it is world-famous for large, multicoloured tourmaline crystals. A Portuguese expedition led by Fernão Dias Paes Leme reached the Serra do Cruzeiro in 1674 looking for emeralds, but the green stones turned out to be tourmaline.

Tourmaline crystals are pyroelectric and piezoelectric, meaning they build up an electric charge when heated or squeezed. Elbaite, a tourmaline species named for the Italian island of Elba, can be green, blue, red, orange, yellow or colourless, and its crystals are often colour-zoned.

This one of a kind Brazilian tourmaline specimen shows a striking mix of deep reddish to purplish tourmaline crystals embedded in a coarse pegmatite matrix. The crystals are thick and blocky in places, with visible striations and uneven terminations, giving the piece a rugged, natural character. The surrounding matrix consists of pale feldspar and quartz, with areas of creamy decomposition typical of weathered pegmatites. The contrast between the darker tourmaline and lighter host rock makes the crystals stand out clearly from multiple angles.

This formation comes from the lithium-rich pegmatites of Minas Gerais, a region globally known for producing complex and colorful tourmaline species. The red to purplish tones indicate lithium-bearing elbaite, with color influenced by trace elements such as manganese. These crystals formed during the late stages of pegmatite cooling, when volatile-rich fluids allowed for the growth of larger, well-defined mineral structures. The intergrowth with feldspar and quartz reflects a slow crystallization environment where multiple minerals developed simultaneously within confined pockets.

Tourmaline in these tones is often associated with vitality and emotional balance. It is commonly valued for promoting confidence, grounding scattered energy, and encouraging a steady, composed mindset.

Quantity: 1pc
With this product, you will get the actual stone in the photograph.