Euxenite-(Y) (old specimen) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

The hard to find rare earth oxide Euxenite-(Y) is known from any localities in Madagascar, and this piece was labeled as coming from "Ambototohy", but I can't find a listing for the species, but I've seen very similar pieces from Sahamandrevo, and I'm pretty sure that's where it's from. This specimen is a sharp, prismatic brownish color crystal group with some well-formed faces, but it is contacted in a few spots, which actually reveals the obsidian like black hue underneath. The outer brown color on the exterior is actually a surface alteration. A good reference specimen if nothing else, and a nice example of a mineral that is rarely seen on the market. The piece dates back over 75 years. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#9343). Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017).