These Blue Tourmaline crystals are members of the Elbaite mineral family. They were sourced in Afghanistan by Lawrence Handicrafts for Rocks and Things.
Elbaite is an igneous mineral that almost always forms in granite pegmatites. It is a complex lithium-rich borosilicate mineral. Elbaite can be any colour of the rainbow, and crystals can be multi-coloured. Black is rare. Elbaite usually forms as heavily-striated elongated rods or prismatic crystals. Blue and Green Elbaite crystals are often pleochroic, which means that the crystal appears darker in colour when viewed along its vertical axis, compared to viewing along its horizontal axis.
Location: Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar, Namibia, Pakistan, USA
