JWL14B-07
Ludlockite on Germanite
Tsumeb Mine, Namibia
Thumbnail, 2.7 x 2.4 x 2.1 cm
Ex. Marshall Sussman
SOLD
This important rarity comes from the first pocket of a total of only two finds of ludlockite. This one is from the find by Charles Key and his partner Frederick Ludlow Smith in the late 1960's, from which the species was named in 1970. While there was a later pocket, this material is of better quality and longer crystals (here, to 2 cm). Note the exceptionally thick crystal in the center, as compared to the usual acicular habit. Minor associations include mimetite and other germanium group minerals in the matrix. The specimen is a gorgeous, sparkling, large thumbnail/small miniature. It has a long history. In Africa, it was long in the collection of well-known Namibian collector Mark "Stumpy" Rattay. It then passed in 1999 to the Sussman collection, which I purchased in 2003. It has been in the collection of retired army veteran and thumbnail collector Jim White since then. Specimens like this are impossible to obtain on the market. Note that this piece requires hand delivery, only because of the difficulty to ship it.