SOLD
SM21-006
Rhodochrosite with Aegirine
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Monteregie, Quebec, Canada
Small Cabinet, 6.3 x 5.0 x 3.8 cm
Ex. Charlie Key
SOLD

I just love the Rhodochrosites from Mont St. Hilaire as they are so atypical for the species not just in form and color, but for the igneous rock that hosts them and the associated rare minerals that are also atypical for the species! This Rhodochrosite cluster is associated with several prismatic, glossy black crystals of Aegirine! The Rhodochrosite cluster is bi-colored and consists of several rhombohedral crystals with an opaque, "rhodonite-pink" interior bathed in a transparent to translucent, dark wine-red exterior that is super lustrous. The Rhodochrosites range in size from 1 to 3.5 cm and the largest Aegirine crystal is 4.5 cm in length. These were found just once in the late 1970s and not again; they remain unique Rhodochrosite pieces. Unlike many of the MSH rhodochrosite, this has no twinning and is composed of sharp rhombohedra. From a private collection, of the legendary mineral explorer Charlie Key, and long out of sight.