A gem-quality purplish-red tourmaline sample of alleged liddicoatitic composition from the Anjanabonoina pegmatite, Madagascar, hasbeen fully characterised using a multi-analytical approach to define its crystal-chemical identity. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction, chem-ical and spectroscopic analysis resulted in the formula: ^X(Na_0.41^□_0.35Ca_0.24)_Σ1.00^Y(Al_1.81Li_1.00

Fe³⁺_0.04Mn³⁺_0.02Mn²⁺_0.12Ti_0.004)_Σ3.00

^ZAl₆[^T(Si_5.60B_0.40)Σ_6.00O₁₈]

(BO₃)₃(OH)₃W[(OH)_0.50F_0.13O_0.37]_Σ1.00, which corresponds to the tourmaline species elbaite having the typical space group R3m and relatively small unit-cell dimensions, a= 15.7935(4) Å, c= 7.0860(2) Å and V= 7.0860(2) ų.Optical absorption spectroscopy showed that the purplish-red colour is caused by minor amounts of Mn³⁺(Mn₂O₃= 0.20 wt.%).Thermal treatment in air up to 750°C strongly intensified the colour of the sample due to the oxidation of all Mn²⁺ to Mn³⁺ (Mn₂O₃ up to 1.21 wt.%). Based on infrared and Raman data, a crystal-chemical model regarding the electrostatic interaction betweenthe X cation and W anion, and involving the Y cations as well, is proposed to explain the absence or rarity of the mineral species ‘liddicoatite’.