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New tourmaline production from Mount Mica, Maine: America's first gem pegmatite.

From: Rocks & Minerals  |  Date: 11/1/2005  |  Author: Falster, Alexander; Freeman, Gary; Laurs, Brendan; Simmons, William B.; Webber, Karen

Maine's many pegmatite quarries have long been important as commercial sources of industrial minerals, gemstock, and specimens interesting to scientists and collectors. None is more famous than Mount Mica, America's first gem pegmatite (Hamlin 1895). Mount Mica is located in the town of Paris (Oxford County), 1.5 kilometers east of the village of Paris (fig. 4). Gem-quality elbaite tourmaline was discovered there in 1820 and has been found sporadically ever since. A new era of ...

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