Benstonite (ex Matioli)

Item Description

Benstonite is a fairly rare barium calcium magnesium carbonate, mostly famously known from the historic Minerva No. 1 Mine in Hardin Co., Illinois. This specimen comes to us from the collection of Paolo Matioli by way of Allens Minerals and Dakota Matrix. This piece is filled with fairly sharp, resinous, translucent, soft golden color trigonal crystals of Benstonite on virtually all sides of the specimen. Minor contacts here and there, but good quality all around, and let's face it, these specimens are not easy to find in today's market.