Arsenolite (rare) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

Some of the best known examples of Arsenolite are those from the White Caps Mine in Nevada. This rare arsenic oxide is not typically found in fine crystals in nature. According to an entry on mindat.org, the White Caps material formed as such: "In about 1958 a mine fire burned the head frame and the timbers in the main shaft and put an end to the mine’s productive life. The fire did however create what are undoubtedly the best arsenolite crystals yet found". It is important to note that natural Arsenolite crystals were found at this locality prior to the fire, but most of what you see on the market today is post-fire material. This thumbnail specimen feature many fine, sharp, gemmy / translucent colorless octahedral crystals of Arsenolite with a slight yellow hue (thought to be caused from either Orpiment or Realgar inclusions) measuring up to about 2 mm sitting on matrix. If you collect rarities, arsenic minerals or simply material from Nevada, don't miss out on this one. We have photographed the piece with a Canon MP-E 65 mm macro lens to better illustrate the quality. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#11631). Kay was a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics. She nearly lived 100 years from April 1920 - March 2020. See the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record ( https://www.mineralogicalrecord.com/pdfs/Kay%20Robertson%20Collection.pdf ), and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017.