Elbiate Tourmaline

Color: Green/red/pink, watermelon (green outside red inside like the fruit)
Moh’s hardness: 7-7.5
Refractive Index: 1.616-1.652
Critical Angle: 38.23°
Specific Gravity: 3.02-3.26
Cleavage: None
Fracture: Uneven, small conchoidal
Dispersion: Medium (.017)
Heat Sensitivity: Moderate
Dichroic: Strong (many color variations)
Birefringence (double refraction): Medium (.014-.024)
Crystal Structure: Hexagonal

Treatments: Generally there is no treatments with this kind of rough...

What I prefer to polishing with: Alumina oxide with a tin lap (scored).

Jeff's Comments: Cuts and polishes like any other Tourmaline, usually no problems... Orientation is important, be very careful because the colors will sometime mix and the color distinctions will be lost.

Design Notes: Care must be taken, generally choose a design the will not mix the colors... My Smith Bar is a good choice for any bi color type of rough, because the ends are designed to be steep and not mix color(s) from the "c" axis.

Design Links:
Easy Emerald - This is a classic and works well on poor "c" axis colored stones
Smith Bar - This is a classic and works well on poor "c" axis colored stones

Rough Links:
Tourmaline - Index of Tourmaline Rough
Parcels - Parcels of various types of Tourmaline
Parcels 2 - Parcels of various types of Tourmaline
Parcels 3 - Parcels of various types of Tourmaline
Parcels 4 - Parcels of various types of Tourmaline

Collector Tourmaline - Indicolite, bi colors, unusual & rare colors
Collector Tourmaline 2 - Indicolite, bi colors, unusual & rare colors
Special Tourmaline - Rare and unusual pieces
Huge Tourmaline - Top quality individual pieces

Chrome Tourmaline - Chrome Tourmaline
Indicolite Tourmaline - Blue, blue/green African, Brazilian
Multi & Bi Color Tourmaline - Nigerian, African, pink/green, blue/green

Tourmaline - Nigerian, various colors
Tourmaline 2 - Nigerian Tourmaline, African nodules
Tourmaline 3 - Kelly green, crystal green, Africa
Tourmaline 4 - Zambian nodules
Tourmaline 5 - Brazilian, various colors
Tourmaline 6 - Dravite, Mozambique
Tourmaline 7 - Sunset Tourmaline
Tourmaline 8 - Afghanistan Tourmaline
Tourmaline 9 - Afghanistan Tourmaline
Tourmaline10 - Schorl Tourmaline

Bargain Links:
Tourmaline Bargains
Indicolite Tourmaline Bargains

Return to Tourmaline Information Index

E-mail to inquire or order: jeff@faceters.com