nice rockhounding find – Stewart mine in Pala California and virtual tour, Tourmaline

This piece of pink Tourmaline that you see in the photo came from the Stewart mine in Pala California. It weighs a nice 8 grams. The mine is a great little place where can purchase buckets of material then sift through them to see what you can find. I have also found some very small black and green crystals. Call the mine ahead of time to make an appointment so they can fit you in a time slot. All their information is on the internet. Jim

In the world of treasures, few precious and desirable things can ever exceed the pink tourmaline of Pala, California. Gem quality natural pink tourmaline is five times as rare as gem diamond and more than ten times as valuable as gold in its pure form. Tourmaline is harder than quartz (Mohs 7.253), is highly refractive when cut, and produces exquisite gemstones.