Friedelite (rare)

Item Description

Friedelite is a relatively rare manganese silicate that was named in 1876 after Charles Friedel a former professor of chemistry at the Sorbonne. The species is only found in a few dozen localities world wide, and some of the best, most classics examples are those from the Franklin Mining District. This piece hosts dozens of well-formed, sharp, lustrous, tabular, monoclinic pinkish-brown Friedelite crystals associated with minor Calcite on typical Franklin matrix. There are actually crystals on both sides of the piece, and the best part is that they are eye-visible, though they are best seen with some magnification. The specimen was found in the 1950s at Sterling Hill. Hard to find material, especially with such a rich amount of Friedelite on one specimen.