Natural History
Natural History
Tourmaline Crystal
Tourmaline King Mine, Pala, Pala Mining District, San Diego Co., California, USA
Auction Closed
July 26, 08:15 PM GMT
Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Tourmaline Crystal
Tourmaline King Mine, Pala, Pala Mining District, San Diego Co., California, USA
9.30 x 5.62 x 4.22 cm (3⅔ x 2¼ x 1⅔ in). One repair has been made to this piece, as is common for specimens of this size and type.
A fine tourmaline crystal shading from deep violet at its base to pastel pink toward the top, with a cap of seafoam green. This is a hefty crystal that shows classic basal termination. In the first decade of the 20ᵗʰ century, these crystals were particularly sought after by the government of Empress Dowager Cixi, the effective ruler of China during the late Qing dynasty, from 1861 until her death in 1908. Many of these classic tourmaline carvings now reside in the Palace Museum, Beijing.