Allophane (fine color) (ex Chet Lemanski Collection)

Item Description

This specimen is labeled only as coming from Socorro County, New Mexico, but I'm inclined to believe it's from the famous Kelly Mine, as the color of the Allophane and the corresponding matrix both match to other pieces I've had in the past. Allophane is an uncommon hydrated aluminum silicate species, and although it's found in a lot of worldwide localities, it's honestly quite rare from the Kelly Mine. Allophane is defined as amorphous (no crystal structure) and the listing on mindat.org states that its nano-sized particles have a ball-shaped morphology. This piece is an attractive specimen of this hard-to-find material featuring semi-spherical shaped groups of strong blue to greenish to yellow-grey colored Allophane on matrix. The blue color is possibly caused by copper content. Upon close inspection, the little "balls" are actually somewhat gemmy. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #2377CL. Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.