Aragonite (superb rare locality specimen)

Item Description

A very impressive big cabinet sized display specimen of Aragonite from Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo County, California. The piece was actually somewhat famous going back to the early 1970s, as it was a multi-award-winning specimen at several California mineral shows when it was part of the collection of Edwin D. Allabough. It's only the second piece of this material that I can remember seeing, and certainly the best for its size and quality. Dozens of notably lustrous, well-formed, tapered prismatic crystals of white Aragonite measuring up to 2.3 cm long, cover the underlying matrix to create a very eye-catching specimen. Most of the crystals are in fine condition, with no damage and the piece displays quite well as you can see from the video. A must have piece for any fan of California minerals, or worldwide carbonates. You'll probably never see another this good in this size again. Valued $2,000.
From the collection of longtime mineral collector Dr. Bob Lauf (Collection #1866), the author of the Mineral Collectors Guide books (Schiffer Publishing), widely seen at mineral shows and libraries. Robert Lauf grew up in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois, ultimately receiving a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering. His scientific career included over twenty years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he conducted research on topics ranging from nuclear fuel, coal by-products, materials synthesis, microwave processing, sensors, optical materials, and biomineralization. He has been granted over forty U.S. Patents for his inventions, many of which have become successful industrial products. He is now a Registered Patent Agent and technology consultant.