RARE16J-17
Ephesite
Gloucester Farm, Postmasburg manganese field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa
Small Cabinet, 7.4 x 5.5 x 4.4 cm
Ex. Charlie Key
SOLD
Something you almost never see for sale; A splendid specimen of large, platy, pseudo-hexagonal ephesite crystals on a black-brown manganese ore matrix. This piece is notable with its richly clustered, dark pink-red, individual and inter-grown crystals of this rare lithium sodium aluminum layer silicate that are up to 6mm cascading down the front of the specimen. The ephesite is associated with pale brown-orange, striated, acicular crystals of diaspore (confirmed by XRD) that occur in disarrayed clusters. Diaspore is an aluminum oxide-hydroxide. The presence of these two minerals on this piece makes for a great combination specimen from the Gloucester Farm locality and a good display specimen! It looks even better under a loupe or microscope! These rarities were found in the late 1970s or early 1980s and not since; the locality ceased mining in the 1980's. Ex. Charlie Key collection.