“Gilded” catapleiite? Well – not really. But the iridescent coating on these crystals sure makes them look golden – if the light hits “just so”. As shown in the full-view photo, the top crystal is incomplete, but even so, this is an interesting little specimen. It is particularly interesting as a micro because, in addition to the catapleiite, there are attractive sprays of dark green aegirine, unusual “diamond” shaped polylithionite crystals and powdery white dawsonite.

From a find of exceptionally “fat” catapleiite in the early part of the Poudrette (or closely related) pegmatite. (September 1994.)

The next three pairs of photos (FOV resp. 4.5 x 6.9 mm, 4.7 x 6.7 mm, and 4.3 x 6.9 mm) are close-ups of the “golden” catapleiite, showing that they look more or less “golden” depending on the lighting. (OK – so I overdid this. But you also get a look at the polylithionite “diamonds”.) Note that the broken parts of the catapleiite crystals are also iridescent which implies that the breaks (or at least predecessor cracks) are due to some natural events that predate blasting and collection.

The last pair of photos (FOV 7 x 4.7 mm) is a close-up of the most attractive aegirine sprays.

Single item shipping weight (with MM case) is 2.9 oz (82 g). For shipments outside the USA, up to a total weight < 8 oz (225g), this can be combined with items from this or other auctions for the same postage.

Within the USA, postage for total weights up to 13 oz ranges from $4.25 to $6.50 (including packing etc) regardless of destination. Above 13 oz, I will use “own box” Priority Mail. The rate, including packing, varies by destination from $7.25 to $9.50.