Decrespignyite-(Y) (ridiculously rare) (ex Chet Lemanski Collection)

Item Description

Decrespignyite-(Y) is only found in one mine in the world, the Paratoo Copper deposit, in the Yunta area of South Australia. This ridiculously rare hydrated copper yttrium rare earth carbonate chloride was first described in 2002, and named for Robert James Champion de Crespigny, former Chairman of the South Australian Museum. The Paratoo Copper deposit dates back to the 1880s, but hadn't been operated for decades, when a local collector found specimens of an unknown blue mineral in 1998 and brought them to the South Australian Museum for identification. This reignited an interest for collectors to poke around the locale in search of more interesting rare earth copper minerals, including the species Paratooite-(La) which was approved in 2005. This piece is a great example of this beautiful material featuring micro semi-radail turquoise-blue colored Decrespignyite-(Y) on host rock matrix. The piece is best viewed under magnification, but the Decrespignyite-(Y) is clearly eye-visible. A must have for any fan of extremely rare minerals, or species from the type locality. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #20668CL. Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.