Charlesite/Ettringite on Epidote-Pb ("Hancockite") (ex Rich Kosnar and Pat Gross Collections)

Item Description

One of the very few Charlesite specimens from the famous Franklin mining district that I've ever seen. The piece features a small (less than 1 mm), hexagonal crystals of this rare member of the Ettringite group with associated pinkish-brown "Hancockite" (now Epidote-(Pb)) on matrix. The piece comes from the collection of noted New Jersey collector, Pat Gross, who originally had the piece labeled at being Ettringite, which makes sense because she more than likely labeled the piece in the 1960's, and Charlesite was not described until 1983. According to Pat's label, the piece is also said to be from the Parker Shaft at Franklin, and I have seen a few other specimens with this same annotation. The label also states that the crystals are twinned, but I cannot see any defined twinning planes on any of the crystals. If you're a Franklin collector, or a micromount collector, do not miss out on this one. I have photographed the Charlesite crystal under the microscope to better illustrate its quality, but it is indeed small. An extreme rarity and a very hard to find specimen of this well known yet elusive species from Franklin. The piece came to Rich Kosnar from noted New Jersey collector Pat Gross, and her original plastic mounting box with her handwritten label on the base accompanies the piece.