Andorite (labeled as both Andorite-VI and Andorite-IV) (rare) with Stibnite (ex Dan Behnke Collection)

Item Description

This is a good association specimen from this famous old mine, which was actually the first reported locality for Andorite. This specimen is labeled as "Andorite-VI" on the front, but the reverse side of the label refers to it as "Andorite-IV". With that said, Andorite-VI is now called Senandorite (as of 2022) and Andorite-IV is now called Quantrandorite (as of 2022). We're simply leaving it as Andorite, which is the only way to safely label this material without having it analyzed. This piece hosts dark grey crystalline areas of Andorite associated with beautiful iridescent metallic "sprays" of Stibnite along with off-white colored Quartz on matrix from the Baia Sprie Mine (Felsőbánya Mine) in Romania. The largest Stibnite "needle" measures 5 mm long. This is unquestionably the finest specimen of Andorite that we've ever had to offer from this historic locality, and if you look on mindat.org, you'll see the only photos of the material are single bladed crystals off matrix, so this is a significant and important piece from one of the most well-known mines in all of Europe. Valued at $1,500-$2,000 for the quality, richness, size and historical significance. From the collection of Daniel ("Dan") W. Behnke (July 31, 1932 - January 20, 2020) of Glenview, Illinois. Dan was an Associate Photographer of both the Mineralogical Record and Rock and Minerals magazines. He served as the Micromount chairman of the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies from 1981 to 1988. He was elected to the National Board of Directors of the Friends of Mineralogy in 1989, and the Micromounters Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a beloved member of the mineral collecting community, most notably for his supreme skill at photomicrography. If you've ever seen any of Dan's micro photos on mindat.org, it's easy to see why he was one of the best in this field. You can read his obituary at https://www.nhscotthanekamp.com/obituaries/Daniel-W-Behnke?obId=10633628