From early finds at Taouz in the 1960s comes this contrasting and super attractive red and black Vanadinite on Coronadite piece. Dozens of dark, translucent red, hexagonal crystals of Vanadinite are heavily distributed on a rolling surface of satin-black Coronadite. The barrel-shaped Vanadinite crystals range in length from 2 to 7 mm in length and result in an aesthetic and very three-dimensional piece. The Vanadinites are luminous and have a bright satiney luster. Many specimens from here have the black mineral generically labelled as "manganese oxides" or "Goethite" but this is in fact Coronadite (we did not know until Dr. Tom researched that!); and it makes for a rustic and nicely contrasting combination specimen. Coronadite is a lead-manganese oxide isn't particularly rare, but it does make for a dramatic background as in this instance. As a bonus, this is from the collection of Steve Smale. He went there himself, and bought this at the mines, on a long road trip with his wife Clara in the late 1960s. They drove a car through the desert and he says it was easy - "we followed the telephone lines for a while!" This is rare material, today. Steve sold this at his old room in the Tucson show, nearly 20 years ago.