Tourmaline crystals exhibit one of two distinct terminations, either tapered or flat, and while both habits are known from Paprok, it is exceedingly rare to find them combined within a single specimen, particularly when each crystal is of exceptional quality and scale. Paprok is recognized as one of the most important tourmaline localities in the world, distinguished by its unmistakable color, luster, and crystallographic style.
This remarkable specimen was recovered during the celebrated 2011 find and is informally known as “The Bat,” a name inspired by the robust, widening form of its largest crystal. The composition features two dominant tourmaline crystals of contrasting habit. One displays a sharp, flat termination with vivid green that transitions into a pink-red body, while the other widens dramatically towards its apex, in classic tapered fashion, forming a massive, columnar structure composed of hundreds of intergrown crystals. The result is a complex form with rich color zoning and strong translucency. The tourmalines rise from a complementary smoky quartz matrix, a rarity for the species and one that greatly enhances the sculptural presence of the piece. Pristine and entirely unrepaired, an extraordinary distinction among large tourmalines, this specimen stands as an irreplaceable and historically important example from one of the world’s great tourmaline localities.