Bastnäsite-(La) (incredibly rare)

Item Description

When the mineral "Bastnäsite" is mentioned, the vast majority of the time, the species will be Bastnäsite-(Ce). THIS piece however is an incredibly rare example of the lanthanum-bearing analogue, Bastnäsite-(La). The piece is labeled as coming from "Torendrika", Madagascar, but I can't find a listing for this locality anywhere. There is a comparable specimen on mindat.org listed as coming from Andakatany, Manandriana District, Amoron'i Mania, Madagascar (see https://www.mindat.org/photo-1224061.html ), so it's possible that this piece could be from that locality. With that said, this is the first and only example of this incredibly rare mineral that we've had to offer, and it's not a micro, but rather a very good sized, crystal section measuring over 2 inches! The piece is not 100% complete, but it does have a few smooth lustrous faces, and at least a partial hexagonal form when viewed from the front. The color is a dark reddish-brown hue, and when the piece is strongly backlit, a bit of translucency can be seen. If you collect rarities, this is something that you're not likely to see again in any format, especially in such a good sized example.
From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #4539CL. The piece was originally from the collection of Dan Serebrakian. Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.