Cerussite (rare locality specimen) (ex Al Kidwell Collection)

Item Description

A rarely seen specimen of Cerussite from Ireland! This piece was erroneously labeled as coming from "County Cork", but it's clearly from the Tynagh Mine, and since there is no reported Cerussite from County Cork, it's pretty easy to eliminate it. Mineral specimens from the well-known Tynagh Mine of Ireland are very seldom available. Much of the production from the open pit lead, zinc and copper mine was oxidized ore, but very few specimens were collected and saved before the mine closed in 1982. This is a classic specimen filled with lustrous, thin prismatic crystals of off-white colored (partially iron-stained) Cerussite forming a wonderful jackstraw group. The crystals measure up to about 1.4 cm long. No matrix, just Cerussite. These piece resemble Cerussites from the famous Flux Mine of Arizona, but are much sturdier. A great old classic that would make a fine addition to any secondary ore collection or a suite of rare locality specimens. From the worldwide mineral collection of Albert Lewis Kidwell (January 1, 1919 - August 16, 2008). Al was a well-known mineral collector and research geologist with Carter Oil Company and later Exxon Oil Company in Houston, Texas. The phosphate species Kidwellite was named in his honor in 1974.