Star and trichites in tourmaline

Tourmaline is one of those gems that can present a wide variety of inclusions, among which of course its characteristic inclusion stands out: trichites. However, sometimes we can find inclusions that form patterns as particular as this one, which reminds of the mythical Mercedes Benz logo. In some tourmalines it is more common to find this curious pattern, such as liddicoatite (lithium tourmaline rich in calcium), which may present this “star” in its structure with very striking color zones.