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Friedelite Piemontite-(Sr) & Sugilite

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KMF589865

Friedelite Piemontite-(Sr) & Sugilite

Classic Locality

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Wessels Mine, Hotazel, Kalahari, Northern Cape Province, South Africa
Class: 
Combination
Size Range: 
Small cabinet (7-10 cm)
Size: 
7.6 × 5.5 × 4.3 cm
Description

An old timer containing a very rare combination of minerals from the Wessels mine locale- featuring a massive white calcite and black manganese matrix on either side of a rich sandwiched in zone of seemingly purple mineralization.

What immediately strikes you is the impressive red luster within the purple  zone that can already be seen from an arms length away. Under closer inspection with the naked eye alone you will see distinctive red sprays of fractured piemontite-SR (formerly known as strontiopiemontite)crystals extending into the calcite as radiating sprays. There is a band of piemontite on either side of the  fibrous sugilite band- the second extends into the manganese zone with free standing crystals to be found on the manganese on some surface areas. The rare mineral friedelite is present as a massive red mineralization close to the black manganese ore zone. This insignificant sugilite specimen is the predecessor to the recent discovery made three years ago that yielded so many outstanding fibrous aggregate specimen.

 

The specimen glows pink under shortwave UV.

 

 

 

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Friedelite

Formula: 
(Mn,Fe)8Si6O15(OH,Cl)10
Strunz: 
9.EE.10
Hardness: 
4.0 - 5.0
Streak: 
White
Type Locality: 
Montagne d'Azet, Aderville, Louron Valley, Hautes-Pyrénées, Midi-Pyrénées, France...

Piemontite-(Sr)

Formula: 
{CaSr}{Al2Mn3+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
Strunz: 
9.BG.05
Hardness: 
6.0
Colour: 
Dark red
Type Locality: 
Molinello Mine, Graveglia Valley, Ne, Genova Province, Liguria, Italy

Sugilite

Formula: 
K(Na,□)2Li3(Fe,Mn,Al,Zr)2[Si12O30]
Strunz: 
9.CM.05
Crystal System: 
Hexagonal
Hardness: 
6.0 - 6.5
Type Locality: 
Iwagi Island, Inland Sea (Setonaikai), Ehime Prefecture, Japan

Seller Information

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Seller's terms and conditions

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