JWL19-25
Poldevaartite (Type Locality)
Wessels Mine, Kalahari manganese field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa (TL)
Thumbnail, 2.5 x 2.1 x 1.8 cm
Ex. Charlie Key
$1,800.00 Payment Plan Available
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Poldervaartite was discovered in the 1980s, but only officially recognized in 1993. Later, we thought there was a flood of them when the orange-red balls and clusters came out again in the late 1990s, and such pieces as this "original find" example were frankly kicked to the curb and many were probably lost track of. However, once distinguished from its relative by the rigor of science a few years later, all the new ones turned out to be Olmiite (all the ten thousand new specimens were Olmiite, not Polder!), and these became rare once again. There really are probably only a handful that exist. The individual crystals, which range up to 7 mm, have excellent luster and a nice tan color. Their elongated habit is accentuated by very good translucence and gemmy edges. These specimens have always been rare and hard to obtain, and were always sought after by Kalahari collectors! The aesthetics of this piece are quite good, with great architecture and quality crystals. ex Charlie Key collection.