Tourmaline Queen (Pala district)
San Diego County, California, United States
Magmatic (Ni-Cu-PGE, carbonatites)Gemmes (tourmaline)
- Type
- Gem-pocket granitic pegmatite-aplite (LCT type)
Late Cretaceous (about 100 Ma) pegmatite-aplite dikes of the Southern California batholith, 1 to 3 m thick and gently dipping, with a basal aplite zone, a pocket zone (tourmaline, beryl, quartz) and graphic pegmatite. Crystallisation from 730-700 to 565 °C, pockets at 565-525 °C under about 2 kbar, nearly closed system. Thick group B dike: quartz near +8.5 ‰, closer to the initial composition of the pegmatite melt; little internal δ18O variation. Indicative coordinates.
δ18O in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : V-SMOW
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.9 ± 0.7 ‰ | 8.5 / 10.7 ‰ | 9 | quartz Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 9 analyses, graphic pegmatite zone, aplite zone and pockets; T.Q.-3 (+10.7 ‰) stands apart. Tourmaline Pocket quartz: +8.5 to +8.8 ‰; crystal TQ-1 from +8.1 to +9.7 ‰ base to tip (Table 3). | Taylor et al. (1979), Stable isotope and fluid inclusion studies of gem-bearing granitic … |
δD in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : V-SMOW
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −78 ± 16 ‰ | −99 / −64 ‰ | 4 | muscovite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 4 analyses, graphic pegmatite zone and pocket-zone boundary; tourmaline -93, -93, -98 and -74 ‰. The lowest δD of the study (-100 ‰) reflects late exchange with the pegmatite fluid near 340 °C rather than with meteoric water. | Taylor et al. (1979), Stable isotope and fluid inclusion studies of gem-bearing granitic … |
Deposits of the same type
- Ocean View (Pala district) United States
- Stewart (Pala district) United States
- Himalaya (Mesa Grande district) United States
- Little Three (Ramona district) United States
- Stillwater Complex (J-M Reef) United States
- Magnet Cove alkaline complex United States
- Carolina tin-spodumene belt United States
- Sudbury Canada
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Tourmaline Queen (Pala district), isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/tourmaline-queen-district-de-pala/ (accessed 2026-10-13).
@misc{isofind2026tourmalinequeenpaladistrictis,
title = {Tourmaline Queen (Pala district), isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/tourmaline-queen-district-de-pala/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13}
}Updated : 2026-10-13