Kainite (SUPERB!) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

Kainite is an exceptionally rare hydrated potassium magnesium chloro sulfate that is reported from many localities around the world, but actual crystal are virtually non-existent. I've never had a piece of this material to offer whatsoever. This particular crystal is a superb example of the species as it is a TEXTBOOK single monoclinic crystal with very sharp faces, fine luster and WATER CLEAR transparency. The given label is the Asse Mine (Grube Asse) in Hannover, but I can't find a listing for this mine on any mineral database. I did find a listing for the mine on wikipedia, where it's referred to as the "Asse II mine (Schacht Asse II), a former salt mine used as a deep geological repository for radioactive waste in the Asse Mountains of Wolfenbuttel, Lower Saxony, Germany." With that said, I don't know if this crystal came from this mine or another salt mine in the area, but the point remains that this is the finest crystallized example of the species that I've ever seen. It would fit into a myriad of different collections, but it must be noted that the piece was stored with a moisture absorbing material to prevent it from dissolving away, as humidity can cause species like Kainite to literally disintegrate over time, so the winner of this auction must take careful steps to make sure that this piece is stored with silica gel packs or something similar in order to maintain its quality. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#2547). Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Velt" November-December 2017). A STUPENDOUS example of this rare mineral from Germany! The value of such a specimen is incredibly difficult to ascertain as I literally have nothing to compare it to in terms of quality.