Davidite-(La)

Item Description

A rarely seen specimen of Davidite-(La) from the famous Billeroo Davidite Prospect in South Australia. This minerals is a rare earth oxide that contains La, Ce, Y, U, Fe, and Ti and belongs to the Crichtonite group. The species "Davidite" no longer exists and has been recategorized into Davidite-(Ce) and Davidite-(La). This is one of the few specimens of Davidite-(La) from the Australia that I have seen, and is a great example for the simple fact that is not just a lone crystal, but an actual group! This piece hosts sharp, well-formed, trigonal brownish-black crystals of Davidite-(La) measuring up to 2.3 cm, which is good sized for the material. If you'd like to read more about this, be sure to check out the entry on mindat (http://www.mindat.org/min-1234.html). Valued at $1200 for size, rarity, and the fact that there are multiple crystals present on the same piece.