Yellow Mn-rich Elbaite from the Canary Mining Area, Zambia
Brendan M. Laurs1,
William B. Simmons2, George R. Rossman3, Eric A. Fritz1, John I. Koivula1, Björn
Anckar4, and Alexander U. Falster2
1Gemological Institute of America, Carlsbad, California
2University of New Orleans, Louisiana
3California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
4Mayfair Mining & Minerals Inc., Linfield, England
ABSTRACT
The only commercial source of yellow gem tourmaline is the
Canary mining area, located 32 km west-southwest of Lundazi in eastern Zambia.
Since 1983, the tourmaline has been mined from both primary and secondary
deposits, in colors typically ranging from yellow-green to yellow to orange and
brown; much of the orange-to-brown material is heated to attain a “golden” or
“canary” yellow color. The tourmaline is Mn-rich (up to 9.18 wt.% MnO
documented in the literature) and contains traces of Ti and little or no Fe. This
tourmaline is probably the result of the crystallization of abundant schorl
from an unusual B-rich, Li-poor pegmatite magma, which depleted Fe while
conserving Mn until the late-stage crystallization of gem pockets.
