***JONAS MINE - Cranberry Red Rubellite Tourmaline*** *Mammoth 5.9 Pound Crystal - Conselheiro Pena Brazil* Start Price USD 18,900.00 Current Price USD 18,900.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, October 31, 2008 End Time Sunday, November 30, 2008 Location Willow Creek, Oklahoma See more about '***JONAS MINE - Cranberry Red Rubellite Tourmaline***' Description   ***Jonas Mine*** (((Cranberry Red Rubellite))) Elbaite Variation of Tourmaline  ~ Mammoth Structure on White Crystal Matrix ~ <Itataia - Conselheiro Pena>  "Minas Gerais - Brazil"  6-3/4" x 5-3/4" x 5-1/2" inches 5.92 Pounds - 2690 Grams Early in 1978 the Jonas Mine was a marginally producing site barely yielding enough crystal to warrant continued digging.  In April of that year while excavating a small pocket owners Jonas Lima and Ailton Barbosa broke into a dark cavern that would become known as "The King Tut's Tomb of Tourmaline". Needless to say the two men could scarcely believe their eyes when they saw what was inside... the mine went on to produce monstrous rubellite specimens including large spectacular gem filled clusters and superb facet grade single crystals.  The matrix specimens are most often associated with quartz or attached to a bed of pure white cleavelandite and lustrous blades of muscovite are also a fairly common occurence.  Many premium Jonas specimens are housed in museums around the world or in the hands of private collectors who rarely part with one.  The Jonas Mine discovery put rubellite on the mineralogical map as an important tourmaline variety and created the standard by which all others are judged.  First rate 1-1/2" to 2" inch facet grade matrix specimens typically sell from $15,000.00 to $20,000.00 dollars each in high end retail galleries. Rather than a cluster of individual crystals the structure of this tourmaline is basically a two tiered single mass of multi hued cranberry red rubellite.  The exterior portions of the two tiers display the overall appearance of individual crystals but are actually surface outlines in relief.  The flat terraces also demonstrate aspects of individual terminations to a degree but are parts of the single mass.  Most of the termination surfaces are overgrown with a secondary light pink to cranberry boytryoidal layer of tourmaline that adds another visual dimension to the specimen. The upper tier of the structure measures approximately 3-1/4" inches wide x 1-5/8" deep x 1" inch tall.  The lower tier measures approximately 5" inches wide x 1-3/8" deep x 2-1/8" inches tall measured at the furthermost distances.  The depth of color varies with shadows and light displaying a wide range of hues from light to darker pink into deep cranberry red rubellite with somewhat purpleish red undertones and are deeper on the right half of the tiers. The flattened area below the second level is roughly 4" inches wide x 2-1/2" tall x 1/2" of an inch thick at the bottom edge.  Part of the tier above and this plate like structure below are contact formed with random patches of botryoidal growth.  The frontside of this lower zone is solid cranberry rubellite with an overgrowth of blue to green to very dark green and the backside is very dark rubellite but all three zones are a single mass of tourmaline as shown. The left side of the structure is comprised of off white yellow streaked cleavelandite which is a platy form of albite.  Situated just behind the clevelandite there's a small gemmy cluster of pink to cranberry rubellite tourmaline that measures 1-1/2" tall x 1-1/4" inches wide and also a few blades of muscovite mixed in here and there. The remaining matrix consist of a massive white textured crystal that at first glance appears to be milky quartz.  The matrix is naturally formed and unbroken with vertically striated crystals sculpted in relief that look just like tourmaline.  It has flat top and random rooftop triangular pyramidal terminations and the backside is etched with miniscule flat top terminations without a single typical quartz termination on it anywhere.  In fact, turned upside down from the backside it looks like a giant milky white tourmaline.  I haven't had it tested and don't intend to, but the matrix is either tourmaline or an unusual quartz morph of tourmaline.  Either way, everything considered, this is a large Jonas Mine matrix specimen worthy of a museum. The massive primary structure of rubellite measures approximately 6" inches tall x 5" inches wide x 2-3/4" inches thick and I estimate the weight at about 25% or 1.5 pounds, roughly 3360 carats give or take.  The rubellite is not absolute facet grade but has the renown cranberry red color with outstanding saturation and a natural luster.  This is an unmistakable Jonas Mine signature specimen and compared to the $45,000.00 dollar cluster in the last photo, it's a bargain.  For the average retail price of 2 or 3 small Jonas Mine single crystals this large centerpiece could be the crowning glory of your display cabinet.  The rubellite sits majestically at a left to right downward angle as shown in the next to last photo for an outstanding presentation and it's a rock solid investment that won't disappear. ( Photographed in Natural Sunlight - Appears Much Darker Indoors ) ~ Colors May Vary According to Screen Settings & Resolution ~   Powered by eBay Turbo Lister Place a Bid!