Gadolinite-(Y) (rare matrix crystal)

Item Description

Here we have a classic example of the uncommon yttrium iron beryllium silicate, Gadolinite-(Y) from the famous locality at Frikstad, Norway. There are many quarries at Frikstad, and it's hard to say specifically where this piece was found. This pegmatite locality dates back many decades, and most specimens were mined longs ago. This piece features a wonderful, good sized (for the species and the locality), sharp, well-formed, lustrous, prismatic, dark black-brown colored crystal of Gadolinite-(Y) measuring 6.7 cm long with some attached feldspar, mica and quartz on the side. The crystal is bordering on being doubly-terminated, but one end has a bit of roughness, so I'm not going to say it's completely terminated. You rarely see these impressive and well-known specimens on the market, and if you collect rare-earth minerals, this would be a fantastic addition to your collection. Priced in the inventory at $1800. An interesting side note: Yttrium is a significant component of this mineral, and the mineral was named after J. Gadolin, who actually discovered yttrium.