Betafite ps. After Xenotime-(Y) (rare) Kay Robertson Coll.

Item Description

A rare pseudomorph from this well-known Madagascar granite pegmatite, well-known for REE species. Brown betafite, a member of the Pyrochlore Supergroup has replaced a sculptural stacked cluster of sharp tetragonal xenotime-(Y) crystals. Ex Kay Robertson Collection # 9428 and acquired from John Metteer at the 1982 Tucson Show. Kay's label says xenotime after betafite, but a similar example in the MINDAT photo gallery for the locale indicates these are betafite after xenotime crystals. Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record). A rare and choice pseudo from the locale.