Description
The universe has 13.8 billion years of history. Some of it fits in your hand. Blue tourmaline — indicolite — requires iron in the right oxidation state during crystallization. Afghan specimens from the Kunar pegmatites rival anything from Brazil. The color ranges from teal to deep ink-blue, with the finest showing a slightly greenish hue in one direction (tourmaline is strongly pleochroic).
This specimen originates from Paprok, Nuristan, Afghanistan, one of the world’s most significant localities for this type of material. Collectors and scientists have drawn from this region for generations, and for good reason: the combination of geological conditions here produces specimens of exceptional quality and clarity.
Every specimen is unique. Photographs approximate the visual experience, but the real thing — its weight, its luster under a raking light, the way it catches the corner of your eye — can only be experienced directly.
