Bustamite on Galena (classic material)

Item Description

Broken Hill has produced several "best of species" minerals, including Bustamite. This uncommon calcium manganese silicate species, is rarely seen in the quality observed from this famed locality in New South Wales. The species is fairly diverse from this area, as I've seen crystals that range from red to reddish-brown, red-orange, salmon-pink, white and even lilac. This small miniature sized piece features a lustrous, prismatic crystal of Bustamite with a rich pinkish-orange hue measuring 2.3 cm, sitting on metallic dark silvery-grey Galena matrix. The crystal is gemmy in areas, which is also one of the qualities of Bustamite from Broken Hill that makes the species special, as most other Bustamites are completely opaque outside of this locality.