Bismuthinite with Vauxite (RARE association)

Item Description

I've seen a good number of Bolivian minerals over the years, and I can say that this is the only specimen I've seen with this specific association from the great Siglo Veinte Mine. The piece features a bright silvery colored metallic section of Bismuthinite, which measures up to 4.0 cm at its longest dimension, sitting on matrix, but what really makes it special are small groups of beautiful blue colored Vauxite, a rare hydrated iron aluminum phosphate, first discovered at the Siglo Veinte Mine. A small amount of Quartz and Pyrite are present on the piece, and some small grey colored metallic groups of what is likely Franckeite can be seen on the piece as well. After a quick glance on mindat.org, I found there are two other localities in the world where Bismuthinite and Vauxite have been reported, but I've never seen a crumb of either of them, so I feel confident saying that this might be the only confirmed specimen of these two minerals together that anybody has offered for sale in quite some time. Originally this piece was sold by well-known Bolivian mineral expert Alfredo Petrov to Chet Lemanski in 2007, but I can't find another like it anywhere, so it likely was from a single discovery. If you collect rarities or minerals from Bolivia, this is a really cool association piece that is unlike anything we've seen before, so don't miss out. As mentioned, this piece is from the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #21551CL. 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.