Calcite on Botryoidal Goethite

Item Description

A beautiful specimen from Santa Eulalia featuring platy, off-white colored, vitreous compressed rhombic crystals of Calcite measuring up to 1.0 cm on edge, sitting atop starkly contrasting dark grey colored botryoidal Goethite matrix. The Goethite has an almost "slick" luster, and there is a tiny bit of iridescence on the surface, for a small hint of color. There is a bit of roughness to the Calcite crystals on one edge, but overall the piece is in very good shape and the I love the opposing styles of the Calcite against the Goethite, creating a really eye-catching specimen for a "black and white" rock.
From the collection of Daniel ("Dan") W. Behnke (July 31, 1932 - January 20, 2020) of Glenview, Illinois. Dan was an Associate Photographer of both the Mineralogical Record and Rock and Minerals magazines. He served as the Micromount chairman of the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies from 1981 to 1988. He was elected to the National Board of Directors of the Friends of Mineralogy in 1989, and the Micromounters Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a beloved member of the mineral collecting community, most notably for his supreme skill at photomicrography. If you've ever seen any of Dan's micro photos on mindat.org, it's easy to see why he was one of the best in this field. You can read his obituary at https://www.nhscotthanekamp.com/obituaries/Daniel-W-Behnke?obId=10633628