Chondrodite with Spinel

Item Description

An attractive and now rarely association seen specimen from the Sungate Mine in Vietnam. This miniature sized specimen was discovered in the early 2000s. Chondrodite is quite possibly the most well-known member of the Humite Group, and good crystals are incredibly hard to find on the market. There are superb micro crystals from Somma-Vesuvius Complex, Italy, and some large impressive crystals up to many cm from the Tilly Foster Mine in New York, but the species is typically found in unattractive rounded crystals or granular "specks". The Sungate Mine in Vietnam produced what are certainly the finest contemporary Chondrodite crystals on the market. Today virtually nothing is coming out, and these pieces have all but disappeared from the market. This piece is a nice example of this elusive material, featuring a classic rich burnt sienna orange colored crystal group of Chondrodite with beautifully accenting / contrasting pink colored Spinel octahedra measuring up to 1.0 cm. Most of the Chondrodites you'll see come from marble deposits, and are often associated with Spinel, but you rarely see such COLORFUL examples like this, most are rather dark and dull. This is one of the few pieces of Chondrodite with Spinel that we've had to offer from this locality, so if you're a fan of uncommon minerals, don't miss out on this one. The piece is not damage-free, there are some areas of interrupted / incomplete growth, but still pretty good quality for what it is.