{"product_id":"tourmaline-english-italian-hand","title":"Minerals - Tourmaline  - English Italian Hand","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eTourmaline is one of the most popular minerals of collectors. Classified as a gemstone, it is a complex crystal composed of aluminum boron silicate combined with a variety of other minerals that produces tourmaline in just about every color imaginable. In fact, specimens of tourmaline are often found multi-colored, another reason for its popularity with collectors. Tourmaline also possesses other interesting properties. When heated then allowed to cool, it takes on a positive charge at one end of the crystal and a negative charge at the other. This specimen from my collection is not particularly attractive as tourmalines go, but Tourmaline tends to be quite pricey and this is all I could afford. Still, I find it beautiful.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMy accompanying Italian Hand composition is a fairly standard late-English (second half of 1700s) style Italian Hand minuscule. The capital, on the other hand, is an over-the-top majuscule following the principles of Italian Hand's French originators as popularized in England by Writing-Master John Ayres around the beginning of the 1700s. The hole in the shade of the T-cross would result from a pen-skip which occurs from spreading the nib (or quill) tines too far apart for the capillary action to allow the ink to flow to the tip if pressed down excessively; then the ink flow resuming as the tines come back together as the pressure is released. This playful contrivance became a motif Ayres enjoyed employing. The flourish style on this piece is essentially my own.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e~2014, Don Marsh~\u003cbr\u003e©2014 Don Marsh\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Don Marsh","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42418304286814,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0640\/7828\/2846\/files\/Tourmaline__2014_Don_Marsh_1fb331ba-ce3d-4823-8768-af049938db61.jpg?v=1769218977","url":"https:\/\/donmarsharchive.com\/products\/tourmaline-english-italian-hand","provider":"Don Marsh","version":"1.0","type":"link"}