Tourmaline, Quartz – Mawi Pegmatite, Nuristan, Laghman Province, Afghanistan
 
This is a 3.2cm Elbaite Tourmaline in and on Quartz from the Mawi Pegmatite, Nuristan, Laghman Province, Afghanistan. This highly unusual specimen of "Bluecap" Elbaite crystal from Afghanistan exhibits a range of beautiful colors. Almost perfectly divided into three parts, the highly lustrous, undamaged tourmaline appears in a dark royal blue in the upper third, which changes to a sky blue/turquoise in the middle. In the lower third the intense red-pink core appears. A rare play of colors!
An indigolith has grown into the side of the smoky quartz crystal. The main crystal of this blue tourmaline is in the quartz, but smaller terminations can be seen on the sides. 
An aesthetic, unique collection piece from Afghanistan in wonderful quality