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National Geographic : 1950 Dec
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Which Rainbow Hue toChoose Puzzles aTourmaline Fancier With the widest range of tints among semiprecious stones, tourmaline lends deli cate charm topendants, beads, and brooches. When viewed from different directions, this mineral reveals varying colors. Large California crystal shown merges green tored. John Ruskin, English author and artcritic, wrote, "The chemistry ofit[tourmaline] is more like amedieval doctor's prescription than themaking ofarespectable mineral." This newcomer among gems has been known only since the early 18th century. Inthe United States tourmaline was first found in1820 inMaine. A900-carat elephant such as the one lent byWedderien, Inc., ofNew York, may be carved from aslarge arough crystal asthat shown above. This uncut tourmaline, em bedded inaquartz matrix, came from asiteinCalifornia, where Indians and cowboys picked up thebrightly colored pebbles around 1872. The mineral isnow found widely -inMadagascar, Brazil, Elba, Ceylon, United States, and Burma. Jewelers saytourmaline gets dustier than other gems in window displays. During tem perature changes itbecomes electrically charged, attracts tiny particles toitssurface. ©National Geographic Society Ektachrome byB.Anthony Stewart and John E.Fletcher
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