Exotic iridescent Calcite on Manganoan Calcite (Dr. B. Phillips Coll.)

Item Description

Stunning, sculptural and colorful multi-generational large calcite from the famous Nikolaevskiy Mine at Dalnegorsk. Striking large first generation translucent, pastel-pink manganoan calcite scalenohedrons form the dramatic architectural basis of the piece. These spikes reach 8.7 cm. Then, surreal second generation iridescent golden flattened nailhead calcite rhombohedrons fantastically, preferentially coat the large scalenohedrons. And finally to top it off, third generation colorless nailhead rhombs crown all of the large scalenohedrons. Complete all-around. Damage on back side is out-of-sight. Neon-orange manganoan calcite fluorescence, as you would expect.The mines at Dalnegorsk are one of the world's great mineral localities, producing world-class Calcite, Sulfides, Fluorite, Ilvaite, Datolite and other species. Dalnegorsk specimens were shocking to collectors in the late 1980s, when they first came to Western markets. Fine specimens, such as this came out in the 1980s and 1990s and are rare on the market today. See the 2001 Mineralogical Record article in Vol. 32, No.1. From the Dr. Barratt Phillips Collection. This is certainly among the most exotic and otherworldly calcites we have seen from Dalnegorsk. valued $2500