Astrophyllite (ex Rich Kosnar Collection from Gene Foord)

Item Description

A good looking small cabinet specimen of Astrophyllite from the famous Khibiny Massif featuring classic bronze colored layered / foliated crystals associated with Eudialyte, Aegirine and Nepheline on matrix. These are not nearly as common the market as they were 25 years ago, and if you collect Russian classics, this is a must have as they are iconic and desirable. This piece is from the collection of Rich Kosnar (1946-2007), the famous mineral dealer and collector from Colorado, and the namesake for the phosphate species Kosnarite. Kosnar obtained the piece from his dear friend Gene Foord (http://www.minsocam.org/msa/ammin/toc/Abstracts/1999_Abstracts/MJ99_Abstracts/Simmons_p790_99.pdf) who was lucky enough to visit the former Soviet Union, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and obtained this piece in 1991. Gene gave the piece to Rich as a Christmas present in the same year. Kosnar's collection number EEF2 (for Eugene E Foord) is painted on the bottom of the specimen.