Datolite (rare unpolished nodules!) with Copper (ex Dan Behnke Collection)

Item Description

The famous Caledonia Mine in Michigan dates back to the US Civil War era (1863) and produced thousands of tons of Copper over its lifetime. Along with Copper, it has produced some beautiful specimens of Datolite, which are found in rounded nodules that are often cut and polished to show off their beautiful internal color, form and patterns. This piece is a rarely seen matrix specimen of Datolite featuring UN-cut and UN-polished snow white nodules of Datolite associated with flanging bladed "wings" of metallic Copper on host rock matrix. The largest composite Datolite nodule measures about 9 mm across. You would be hard-pressed to find another like this from the Caledonia Mine, and this is a must have piece for any fans of minerals from the Michigan Copper Country. From the collection of Daniel (Dan) W. Behnke (July 31, 1932 - January 20, 2020) of Glenview, Illinois. Dan was an Associate Photographer of both the Mineralogical Record and Rock and Minerals magazines. He served as the Micromount chairman of the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies from 1981 to 1988. He was elected to the National Board of Directors of the Friends of Mineralogy in 1989, and the Micromounters Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a beloved member of the mineral collecting community, most notably for his supreme skill at photomicrography. If you've ever seen any of Dan's micro photos on mindat.org, it's easy to see why he was one of the best in this field. You can read his obituary at https://www.nhscotthanekamp.com/obituaries/Daniel-W-Behnke?obId=10633628