Cavansite

Item Description

Cavansite one of those minerals that has such a unique appearance. It is truly adored by collectors due to the fact that it has one of the most enchanting colors in the mineral kingdom. Combine that with the fact that the only specimens of interest to most collectors are found in one place in the world, and you have a really special mineral. Cavansite was first discovered in Oregon, and was fairly unknown to most collectors due to the fact that most of the crystals are quite small and somewhat nondescript. Luckily not too long after their initial discovery, the Wagholi Quarry in India started producing the world's finest specimens of this now well-known species. Cavansite gets its name from its chemistry as it is a CA-lcium VAN-adium SI-licate. Sure, there might be a fair number of them on the market now, but you won't see them forever, and rumors keep swirling as to whether Wagholi is completely flooded / inaccessible or if the quarry is actually being filled in to make room for the ever growing needs for housing around Pune. This attractive nearly full cabinet sized specimen features gorgeous "spray"-like groups of intense blue colored bladed crystals of Cavansite sitting atop a layer of tiny Heulandite crystals on basalt matrix. The largest Cavansite group at the center of this specimen measures 3.5 cm across at its widest dimension. The piece is not 100% damage free, as it is separation mark along the lower right edge where it was removed from the pocket wall, along with a few tiny nicks on a couple spots. If the piece were perfect, I could see is retailing for $7,500 considering the superb size, quality, color and overall aesthetics of the Cavansite crystals. With that said, it's still a great bargain for the starting price and if you're a fan of Cavansite or minerals from the Deccan Trap, it's an impressive specimen that would make a great addition to your collection. From the personal collection of Angela Kosnar, whose favorite mineral is Cavansite.