TUC17A-02
Vauxite
Siglo XX Mine, Llallagua, Potosi, Bolivia
Small Cabinet, 5.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 cm
Ex. Dr. Wouter Van Tichelen
SOLD
A gorgeous rolling carpet of sparkling crystals of this rare species, Vauxite, one of the most rare and beautiful blue minerals you can get. These ONLY COME FROM one location, in such richness and quality - from the type locality of the Siglo XX Mine. Vauxite is named in honor of the late-1800's patron of mineralogy in the USA East Coast, the Vaux family. It is one of the three rare Bolivian phosphate minerals (metavauxite and paravauxite are the other two), discovered and named by the late Sam Gordon in the 1930s during one his famous collecting trips. Botryoidal aggregates, to 1.4 cm across, are composed of lustrous and translucent, dark blue vauxite. Ex Dr. Wouter van Tichelen Collection. These have not been found in this quality since the 1980s. Few are for sale. I particularly like this material and buy up all I can from old collections, since nature does not seem to be giving us any more...