UTR21-45
Bixbyite
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kuruman, Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape, South Africa
Small Cabinet, 5.5 x 4.5 x 2.9 cm
Ex. Charlie Key
$6,000.00 Payment Plan Available
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This is a ridiculously huge Bixbyite for the species and locality both, and it's from the long held private (and very secretive) collection of Charlie Key! I cannot recall seeing its equal in size except in pieces he held back, just a few, from one pocket in the 1980s. The piece actually consists of two, metallic charcoal gray cubes in parallel growth with the larger main crystal in front measuring 3 cm on its longest edge and the smaller sidecar crystal protruding out of the right side is 2.7 cm, on its more prominent edge. The front face of the big crystal is somewhat rough due to numerous, tiny Hausmannite crystals or remnant crystals marking the face, the sides of the large crystal and the entire sidecar crystal are brilliantly lustrous. The big crystal is contacted on the bottom, but otherwise complete except for a small ding at the top corner and the left corner. Small patches of white anhedral Calcite are present for color contrast. This is a MAJOR example of the species and a beautiful rarity. Ex. Charlie Key private collection (sold to myself and Marshall Sussman over a decade ago, and from which this came but has been lost in the warehouse until recently).

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