Prospecting Tourmaline in Metamorphic Pegmatites (LCT-Type)

This is a field exploration into the geology and mineralogy of metamorphic pegmatites found in Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado. There are two primary categories of pegmatites which receive classification by their origins and chemistries: LCT and NYF. For this prospecting adventure, we’ll investigate the LCT-type where there are frequent occurrences of minerals such as tourmaline (var. schorl), beryl (var. aquamarine), garnet (var. almandine), smoky quartz, plagioclase feldspar, and magnetite.
I typically show a video of the crystals after cleanup but these required no cleaning, so their condition is well-represented by the on-site footage (and thumbnail photo).