Copper-bearing Elbaite

Na(Li1.5Al1.5)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Also known as
  • Cuprian Elbaite
  • Paraiba Tourmaline
Variety of
Elbaite
ElbaiteNa(Al1.5Li1.5)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)

Where it forms, where it's found

6recorded occurrences
Source · OpenStreetMap

Varieties

Chemical composition

Constituent elements
Mass composition breakdown
ElementAtoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/molMass share
8OOxygenOxygen3115.999495.969
52.95%
13AlAluminiumAluminium7.526.982202.365
21.60%
14SiSiliconSilicon628.085168.510
17.99%
5BBoronBoron310.81032.430
3.46%
11NaSodiumSodium122.99022.990
2.46%
3LiLithiumLithium1.56.94010.410
1.11%
1HHydrogenHydrogen41.0084.032
0.43%
Total936.706100.00%

Mass share = atoms × atomic mass ÷ molar mass × 100

From Mindat formula

Synonyms

  • Cuprian Elbaite
  • Paraiba Tourmaline

Literature, links & citation

Citations
  1. 1990Henn, Ulrich, Bank, Hermann, Bank, Francisco Hermann, Platen, Hilmar Von, Hofmeister, Wolfgang (1990) Transparent bright blue Cu-bearing tourmalines from Paraiba, Brazil. Mineralogical Magazine, 54 (377) 553-557 doi:10.1180/minmag.1990.054.377.04 DOI: 10.1180/minmag.1990.054.377.04
  2. 1995MacDonald, D. J., Hawthorne, F. C. (1995) Cu-Bearing Tourmaline from Paraiba, Brazil. Acta Crystallographica Section C Crystal Structure Communications, 51 (4) 555-557 doi:10.1107/s0108270194008243DOI: 10.1107/s0108270194008243
  3. 2001Shigley, James E., Cook, Brian C., Laurs, Brendan M., Bernardes, Marcelo de Oliveira (2001) An Update on "Paraíba" Tourmaline from Brazil. Gems & Gemology, 37 (4) 260-276 doi:10.5741/gems.37.4.260DOI: 10.5741/gems.37.4.260
  4. 2006Colored Stone (2006): Selling News: "Labs to Use Paraíba": 19(4): 22.
  5. 2007Krzemnicki, M.S. (2007) “Paraiba” tourmalines from Brazil and Africa - Origin determination based on LA-ICP-MS analysis of trace elements. Facette 14, 8
Cite this entry
@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Copper-bearing Elbaite — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/copper-bearing-elbaite-10295},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}