What is Elbaite?
Elbaite is a lithium-rich tourmaline species and one of the main sources of multicoloured, transparent tourmaline crystals in collections and gems.
Mineralogy and structure
Reference formula: Na(Li1.5Al1.5)Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4. Elbaite has the characteristic trigonal tourmaline framework with channels along the c axis. Zoning and substitutions create strong colour changes within one crystal.
Colour and appearance
Typical colours include green, blue, pink, red, yellow, colourless. The usual prismatic, columnar, radiating habit and vitreous lustre are useful descriptive features, but colour alone is not diagnostic.
Formation and localities
Elbaite forms in or is associated with lithium-rich granitic pegmatites, late hydrothermal pockets and metasomatic zones. Important documented localities include Brazil, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Madagascar, the United States, Russia and Mozambique.
Collecting and care
Generally durable, but protect long prismatic crystals from impact and avoid assuming that a trade name proves end-member chemistry.
Elbaite in popular symbolism
Modern crystal guides sometimes associate Elbaite with symbolic themes based on colour or collecting tradition. These associations are cultural interpretations, not mineralogical or medical properties.
