Andalusite (crystallized)

Item Description

Andalusite has been reported from many localities, but it doesn't show up in a lot of collections, because it's hard to find good crystals. Going back a few years, there was a discovery at Jenipapo of some notably well-crystallized (for the species) examples of Andalusite. We were able to pick up a parcel of these pieces from a good friend in Brazil. This miniature specimen is a fairly sharp prism with several distinct smooth faces. The color is a darker pinkish-brown and even though it might appear opaque, you can see a bit of internal gemminess when strongly backlit. The termination is in pretty good shape, but it does have a contact on one corner. A nice overall specimen of a species that you don't see in sharp crystals typically.