Cassiterite with Wavellite (rare association)

Item Description

There are only a few places on Earth where Cassiterite occurs with Wavellite, and the finest examples that I've ever seen are those from Huanuni, as they feature fine crystallization and display quality specimens. I've seen "chunks" from places like Cornwall or even the Siglo XX Mine in Bolivia, but they're much cruder than those from Huanuni. This particular specimen is honestly the best one I can remember seeing from Huanuni as it features a very good sized Wavellite "ball" and the Cassiterite crystals are sharp, distinct and well-formed. I know it's a "black and white" specimen, but it's honestly a significant and important representation of this rare association. The Wavellite "ball" measures 1.1 cm, and the Cassiterites also measure up to 1.1 cm. Associated Quartz crystals on one end along with a big of contacted Wavellite are present as well. Good quality overall, with only a little roughness, and obviously the periphery is contacted where it was removed from the pocket wall. The piece was mined in the early 1980s in the phosphate zone of Huanuni (where the world-class Aheylites were found). A really choice specimen for any fan of Bolivian material or unusual associations.
From the collection of Gary and Terry Butts of Livermore, Colorado. This husband and wife collecting duo were childhood sweethearts, and have been together since they began dating as teenagers growing up in East Des Moines, Iowa in the 1950s. Both of them had an early interest in the hobby thanks to the fact that Terry's parents had a keen interest in lapidary, which sparked an interest in rocks for both of them. Gary and Terry were featured in an article in the Des Moines Register on Feb 4, 1962 (see photo in this listing) highlighting their interest and prowess in the hobby as youngsters. Gary traveled to various localities around the US as a teenager with his father (who worked in the tin industry), to personally collect specimens. He then attended the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado and graduated in 1967 with a degree in extractive metallurgical engineering. We went to work for Duval Corp at the Esperanza Mine south of Tucson, Arizona and then work for Cyprus Mines, Hazen Research, Pincock, Allen & Holt and the Colorado School of Mines Research Institute. His final job was in the mineral and environmental division of Intertek Testing Services of London, which owned the Canadian mineral testing company, Bonder Clegg. Gary's various jobs allowed him to travel the world and build his collection by buying a lot of specimens in person when they were coming out of the ground. Additionally, Terry's uncle was a miner in Creede, Colorado and later owned a rock shop which supplied Gary with specimens from the area. The specimens in this auction represent what Gary and Terry considered the "cream of the crop" of their collection.