Dysanalyte with Monticellite (both rare) Whitmore Coll.

Item Description

A rare and exotic combination specimen from the famous Magnet Cove area of Arkansas. Both sides of the carbonatite matrix (calcite-rich) host lustrous, metallic-gray, dysanalyte crystals and clusters of small, nubby, monticellite crystals. Dysanalyte is the niobium-rich variety of perovskite (calcium-titanium oxide). Most of the crystals are cleaved (up to 1.6 cm), but a few are textbook orthorhombic crystals (to 6 mm). There is much more monticellite on one side over the other. Rarely available in this rich combination. This old-timer is from an old museum collection we traded into (dating to prior to World War I). Comes with a faded Ward"s label.