Astrophyllite ex. Haineault coll.

Item Description

This is a top-notch starburst of slender, needle-like crystals of Astrophylite, a titanium silicate. These golden, reddish-brown crystals have very good, sub-metallic luster and perfect cleavage, and they range up to 1.7 cm. Combine them into these eye-catching radial patterns, and you have a dominant starburst about 3 cm across. With so many reflective surfaces, this is even better in person when you can look at it stereoscopically (two eyes). This is the best Astrophyllte I have seen from the famous quarry at Mont St. Hilaire. Formerly in the Bill and Carol Smith and Haineault collections (Gilles Haineault is one of the most famous and well regarded colectors of MSH material).