Elbaite

Elbaite is a member of the Tourmaline group, popular with jewellers and mineral collectors due to its bright, vibrant colours.

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Information about Elbaite

Elbaite is a highly colourful and transparent to translucent variety of tourmaline, famous for its vibrant and diverse hues. It can be found in shades of pink, green, blue, yellow, and red, often with stunning multicoloured zoning within a single crystal.

Elbaite is a member of the Tourmaline group, and a member of the Elbaite-Liddicoatite series, Dravite-Elbaite series, and the Elbaite-Schorl series.

Some well-known varieties include the green “verdelite,” pink “rubellite,” and blue “indicolite.” Crystals are prismatic, striated along their length, and typically exhibit a vitreous luster. Its vibrant colours, combined with its aesthetic crystal form, make elbaite a favorite among gemologists and collectors.

 

Uses and History

 

Elbaite is extensively used in the gemstone industry due to its brilliant colors and clarity, with cut stones often set in fine jewelry. It is also a sought-after mineral specimen for collectors.

Elbaite was first discovered on the Italian island of Elba, after which it was named, in the early 19th century. Its discovery marked the identification of one of the most prized varieties of tourmaline. Over time, elbaite deposits have been found in several pegmatitic regions worldwide, including Brazil, Afghanistan, Madagascar, and the United States, each yielding its unique colour varieties.

 

Mineralogy

Chemistry
Cyclosilicate mineral with the chemical formula Na(Li1.5Al1.5)Al6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)4.
Colours and Variations

Green, blue-green, blue, red to pink, orange, yellow, colourless

Streak
Luster
Vitreous to resinous
Transparency
Transparent to opaque
Fracture
Subconchoidal
Crystal habit
Prismatic, usually striated. Also radiating, massive, botryoidal, needle-like.
Mohs hardness
7.0 – 7.5
Fluorescence
Specific Gravity
2.9 – 3.1
Easiest testing method

Hazards and Warnings

Mineral collectors should wash their hands after handling specimens, to avoid any exposure to potential toxins.

Almost all rocks, minerals (and, frankly, almost all other substances on earth) can produce toxic dust when cutting, which can cause serious respiratory conditions including silicosis.

When cutting or polishing rocks, minerals, shells, etc, all work should be done wet to minimise the dust, and a suitable respirator or extraction system should be used.

 

 

Translations

Arabic:

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Portuguese:

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Indonesian:

Punjabi:

English:

Italian:

Russian:

  • Эльбаит

French:

Japanese:

  • リシア電気石

Spanish:

  • Elbaita

German:

  • Elbait

Korean:

Thai:

Gujurati:

Mandarin Chinese:

  • 锂电气石

Urdu:

Further Reading / External Links