Cavansite

Item Description

Cavansite specimens have been coming out of India for a few decades, but less and less material has been available in recent years due to the fact that the quarries have been filled in to make room for suburban housing around Pune. I have been told by a source who is mining in the area that there is only ONE active quarry remaining that is still producing this beautiful material, so the days of Cavansites might be dwindling. Cavansite is a distinctive and rare calcium vanadium silicate mineral, that truly does not resemble any other species. The chemistry of the mineral is actually how it got its name (CA-lcium VAN-adium SI-licate). Although the type locality for Cavansite is in Oregon, the mineral is truly only associated with a single locality, Wagholi, India. To this day, 99.9% of Cavansite 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. This piece hosts a gorgeous crystallized aggregate composed of glowing intense blue colored crystals of Cavansite sitting atop micro beige Heulandite sitting on basalt matrix. The Cavansite aggregate measures 1.7 cm across. Minor roughness can be seen on the lower portion of the Cavansite group, but overall the piece is in good shape.