Mineral · Tourmaline group
Elbaite
Na(Li1.5Al1.5)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Elbaite is the lithium tourmaline responsible for the pink, green, blue and bicoloured 'watermelon' crystals of Minas Gerais, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pala (California) and Elba. Terminated multicoloured crystals on quartz and albite are among the most valuable pegmatite minerals; Paraíba-type copper-bearing elbaite is the most expensive gem tourmaline. Crystals are brittle and often repaired.
| Formula | Na(Li1.5Al1.5)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
|---|---|
| IMA status | approved |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Mohs hardness | 7–7.5 |
| Group | Tourmaline group |
| Type locality | Elba, Italy |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 3.05 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Fakes and treatments
Many elbaite crystals are broken and reglued, or re-set onto matrix; ask about repairs. Heating and irradiation alter colour in gem rough.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Elbaite" (Mineral). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/elbaite. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-elbaite,
title = {Elbaite},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/elbaite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.