Banded Jasper ventifact (RARE) Kay Robertson Coll.

Item Description

A fascinating, sculptural and rare specimen of naturally formed layered jasper from an unknown locality in the Sahara Desert of Egypt. The lustrous, polished-looking specimen is a ventifact - a rock that has been abraded, pitted, etched, grooved, or polished by wind-driven sand or ice crystals. These geomorphic features are most typically found in arid environments where there is little vegetation to interfere with aeolian particle transport, where there are frequently strong winds, and where there is a steady but not overwhelming supply of sand (Wikipedia). Highly unusual and rare material from the Kay Robertson Collection # 5849 and comes with the newspaper ad, from which she probably ordered the specimen with "BIZARRE "FORMS"". It probably dates to the late 1960s or early 70s. Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record).