bab03
Babingtonite on Prehnite
Hongquizhen Quarry, Meigu Co., Liangshan, Sichuan Province, China
Small Cabinet, 6.7 x 5.0 x 2.5 cm
SOLD
A sparkling and unusual druse of millimeter-size tabular, lustrous, black, babingtonite completely covers the matrix of botryoidal, green prehnite. One solitary, freestanding babingtonite leaps out of them. For accent there is a large, colorless, doubly terminated quartz crystal measuring 2.5 cm in length and the largest babingtonite crystal is also doubly terminated and it measures 1.0 cm across. The matrix seems to be a floater shard of crystallized prehnite, and is entirely translucent when backlit. This is a cute, sparkling miniature. luster on these crystals is high, and the faces are all sharp and un-etched or discolored as with some babingtonite from this locality. These remarkable specimens come out of a very small, previously insignificant quarry that, according to Mindat.org, is simply worked by the local farmers.