Cavansite

Item Description

Cavansite is a well-known, yet fairly rare calcium vanadium silicate species. It was named for its chemistry (CA-lcium VAN-adium SI-licate), and gets its rich color due to its vanadium content. Although the type locality for Cavansite is in Oregon, the mineral is truly only associated with a single locality, Wagholi, India. 99.9% of the pieces on the market are from Wagholi. The species is beloved by collectors and dealers due to the fact that it has one of the most distinctive colors in the mineral world. It should be noted that rumors keep swirling as to whether Wagholi is completely flooded and unminable, or if the quarry is being filled in to make room for the ever growing housing market in Pune, but eventually one day there will be no more Cavansite on the market. This piece hosts a gorgeous crystallized "spray" of glowing intense blue bladed crystals of Cavansite sitting atop translucent beige colored crystals of Heulandite sitting on basalt matrix. The Cavansite aggregate measures 2.7 cm across. No major damage that I can see, to the Cavansite group. Valued $1,500. From the collection of Angela Kosnar, whose favorite mineral species is Cavansite.