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Schorl Tourmaline in Chloritic Fault Gouge

Maryland Materials Quarry, Elkton
Maryland, USA
Gift of Frederick Keidel
9999.0800.5731.0000

This is a schorl tourmaline in chloritic fault gouge from the Maryland Materials Quarry in Elkton, Maryland. This crystal is curved because it grew in a fault. Movement crushed the rock up, forming what is called fault gouge. The tourmaline crystal was growing at the time while some of the movement was taking place so it was cracked and re-healed, cracked and re-healed giving it the curve seen here.