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
Collector Tourmaline - Blue/Green Bi Color Tourmaline crystal from Nigeria, Top Tri Color Tourmaline crystal from Afghanistan, Elbaite (watermelon) Tourmaline from Nigeria, Maine Tourmaline USA, Chrome Tourmaline from Tanzania, Stewart Hot Pink Tourmaline from California, Siberite Tourmaline
Huge Tourmaline - Unusually large crystals and pieces of Tourmaline
Indicolite Tourmaline - Large Indicolite Tourmaline crystals from Nigeria, Indicolite Blue/Green Tourmaline from Nigeria, Indicolite Tourmaline from Nigeria
Multi & Bi Color Tourmaline - Green/Blue Bi Color Tourmaline crystals from Nigeria, Bi Color Tourmaline
from Nigeria, pink/green Tourmaline, blue/green Tourmaline, clear/pink/green Tourmaline
Tourmaline - Nigerian Tourmaline Parcels, Nigerian Tourmaline Mix, Huge Nigerian Tourmaline, Rubellite Tourmaline, Achroite Tourmaline, Dravite Tourmaline, Verdelite Tourmaline
Tourmaline2 - Brazilian Tourmaline Mix, Afghanistan Pastel Tourmaline, Pink Rind Brazilian Tourmaline, Mozambique green/yellow Tourmaline, Peach Mauve Brazilian Tourmaline, Siberian Bi-Color from Siberia, Zambian Tourmaline, Sunset Tourmaline from Kenya, Rubellite Tourmaline, Achroite Tourmaline, Dravite Tourmaline, Verdelite Tourmaline
Tourmaline3 - Kelly Green Tourmaline from Nigeria, Nigerian Green Tourmaline from Nigeria, African Green Crystal Tourmaline, Brazilian Green Crystal Tourmaline, Verdelite Tourmaline
Tourmaline4 - Zambian Tourmaline Nodules from Zambia, Rubellite Tourmaline, Achroite Tourmaline, Dravite Tourmaline, Verdelite Tourmaline
Tourmaline5 - Crystal Green Tourmaline from Nigeria, Green Crystal Tourmaline from Nigeria, Verdelite Tourmaline
Tourmaline6 - Dravite, Sunset Tourmaline, Mozambique
Tourmaline Parcels - Parcels of various types

Bargain Links:
Tourmaline Bargains
Indicolite Tourmaline Bargains

Return to Tourmaline Information Index

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