Andradite ps. Rhodochrosite with Gaudefroyite (illustrated)

Item Description

An unusual specimen that draws the eye with both shape and sparkle...and long mysterious to collectors trying to understand what they actually were made of! This is now regarded as one of the most important and recognizable finds of the Kalahari, and one of the strangest as well. This particular style, in this size, came out only in one pocket or group of pockets, we think in the late 1980s. This one was held in the Charlie Key collection, until sold to Marshall Sussman circa 2010. These unusual, sparkling, lustrous garnet replacements after rhodochrosite seem to have formed as casts after large rhodochrosite crystals similar in form to the pseudo-triangular material we sometimes got from Mt St Hilaire in Canada. They could be after calcite or even siderite, some say, but the consensus seems to be that rhodochrosite was the original mineral. In any case, the original crystal underlying the garnet seems to have been completely replaced by several minute crystallization layers of the most sparkling, fine-grained garnet, with a deep maroon color. Small, elongated, jet black, shiny crystals of gaudefroyite decorate the casts, providing a welcome accent color. There really is not another mineral assemblage like this, and these are immediately recognizable when you see one in an old Kalahari collection. This specimen has a highly unusual shape to it, and is complete all around. Comes with custom lucite base for display. Photo and video by Joe Budd. A video which shows the glistening effect better than a flat photo can possibly do justice, can be seen at this link: https://vimeo.com/198296201. When they turn up, if at all, specimens of any size and quality such as this are presented at the low five figures at shows. Note: well-Illustrated on the Mineralogical Record article on the Kalahari Fields from: The Mineralogical Record Vol. 48, No. 1 January-February 2017 N'Chwaning. One of the great issues to be printed. 168 pages.