Detailed information
Species
Elbaite
Dimensions
33 x 18 x 18
mm
Weight
14 g
Locality
San Diego County California USA
Condition
No recorded repairs
This small miniature Elbaite from San Diego County, California, USA shows very much that size isn't everything. As a short, relatively stocky prism, this doubly terminated 'floater' crystal is a delight to study. With an unusual (for Elbaite) pale silvery-grey body colour, flashes of electric blue jump out from the tips of flat pinacoid terminations, not just at the very end of the specimen, but from the edges where smaller crystals are developed in parallel growth. At the other end of the crystal the more uneven rounded terminations are a dull grey colour. There is very little damage to this fine individual crystal, but with close inspection a couple of tiny chips can been seen on the edge of the pinacoid termination. A very individual Southern Californian Elbaite.