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Purpurite

Purpurite is a manganese iron phosphate, and a member of the Triphylite Group. It was named in 1905 by Louis C. Graton and Waldemar T. Schaller from the Latin, "purpura" in reference to its color. Purpurite forms orthorhombic, cleavable, blocky masses which are brown-black to purple-black on altered surfaces, with a silky luster. Purpurite is the trivalent manganese end member in the Heterosite-Purpurite Series. Purpurite is a secondary mineral, formed by oxidation of iron and or manganese and simultaneous leaching of lithium from lithiophilite. Purpurite is far less common than heterosite, and is frequently artificially colored bright purple through acid etching. The type locality for purpurite is: Faires Tin mine, Kings Mountain, Gaston Co., North Carolina, USA. Other notable localities include: Branchville, Fairfield Co., Connecticut, USA; Custer district, Custer Co., South Dakota, USA; Stewart mine and Tincon pegmatite, Pala district, San Diego Co. California, USA; Chanteloube, Haute-Vienne dept., France; Kitumba, Rwanda, and Sandamab, and Erongo, both Namibia; Wodgina, Marble Bar, Western Australia, Australia.

You can buy these rare bright purple crystals online from The Arkenstone, www.iRocks.com to add fine mineral specimens to your collection.

Purpurite Ps. After Triphyllite
RNOW-388
Purpurite Ps. After Triphyllite
Pack Rat Mine, McCain Valley, San Diego County, California
Cabinet
12.0 x 10.0 x 10.0 cm
SOLD
Details
Purpurite
MD-137452
Purpurite
Sandamab pegmatite (Sandamap pegmatite), Usakos, Karibib District, Erongo Region, Namibia
Small Cabinet
5.4 x 4.6 x 1.9 cm
SOLD
Details
Purpurite
MD-224114
Purpurite
Sandamab pegmatite (Sandamap pegmatite), Usakos, Karibib District, Erongo Region, Namibia
Cabinet
10.5 x 6.2 x 2.8 cm
SOLD
Details
Purpurite
MD-120161
Purpurite
Pack Rat Mine, Mt. Tule, Jacumba District, San Diego Co., California, USA
Small Cabinet
8.7 x 5.4 x 3.8 cm
SOLD
Details
Purpurite, Tantalite
MD-213095
Purpurite, Tantalite
Pack Rat Mine, Mt. Tule, Jacumba District, San Diego Co., California, USA
Miniature
4.6 x 4.1 x 2.4 cm
SOLD
Details
Purpurite and Mitridatite
CK76
Purpurite and Mitridatite
Pack Rat Mine, Jacumba, San Diego Co., California, USA
Small Cabinet
7.1 x 6.7 x 2.5 cm
SOLD
Details
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The Wisdom Pocket Blog

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Rock Roundup: April 2023 Edition

Welcome to the monthly rock round up where we recap some of our favorite and interesting specimens that we've uploaded this month. In case you missed it, here's a quick rundown on some of what we think you should check out!

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Apr 26, 2023

Peruvian Treasures

Between the recent Peruvian finds of saturated chrysocolla, deep green fluorite, and mirror-like pyrites, this region of the world is definitely experiencing a resurgence in interest from mineral collectors. We blended a combination crystals from newer finds and old classics (think old Peruvian rhodochrosites from the Jack Halpern collection, plus new chrysocolla specimens from Tentadora) to showcase a range of beautiful material from an assortment of Peruvian localities.

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Apr 1, 2023

The Search for the Perfect Stone

This year at in Tucson, The Arkenstone and Dr. Rob Lavinsky were featured in an interview by Rachel Monroe of The New Yorker titled, "The Search for the Perfect Stone."

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Mar 17, 2023

The Arkenstone Heads West!

Our Spring West Coast Road Show is coming up fast, and we've enjoyed our annual San Fran trips over the last decade. This year, we're adding LA to our list, too. We hope to see you for minerals and light bites.  Please make sure to let us know if you're looking for anything specific, so we can pack with you in mind! This is also a great opportunity for us to hand-deliver specimens to clients who might be interested in delicate species that might be concerning to ship, as well. 

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Feb 23, 2023

Rare Earth: Crystalline Treasures

Rare Earth: Crystalline Treasures, ran through September 5th, 2022 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and featured more than 200 spectacular mineral specimens from around the world. Many of these were on loan from the renowned collector and mineral dealer, Dr. Rob Lavinsky. The exhibit was uniquely interwoven with various themes and stories that make inspirational connections between architectural design & earth materials, art+science+culture, carvings and illustrations, striking color, fanciful formations, and a few cases at the end that took a deeper dive into crystal form.

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Jan 12, 2023

Collector Profile: Dr. Erika Pohl-Stroher

Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher collected the minerals in her collection over a period of more than 60 years. The specimens are arranged according to geographical regions. Considering that Dr. Pohl-Ströher had no intention of exhibiting her mineral collection and therefore did not make a conscious effort to ensure that she obtained specimens from all over the world, she has succeeded remarkably well in setting up an extensive, comprehensive and magnificent collection that includes minerals from every continent.

Read More

Dec 16, 2022

Collector interview: Alex Schauss

In this interview by Tomasz Praszkier, Alex Schauss shares some of his family history, and talks about his career researching nutrition and botanical medicine, and how these disciplines relate to his passion for mineralogy.

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