Gahnite (rare locality) (ex Gerry Morvell Collection)

Item Description

A seldom seen Gahnite specimen from the Trotter Mine in the Franklin Mining District of New Jersey. Gahnite is a zinc-bearing member of the Spinel Group, and it's a valid species, not a variety of Spinel. I've seen several Gahnites labeled from Franklin over the years, but pieces specifically from the Trotter Mine (this one is labeled as coming from the dump of the mine) are quite difficult to find. This miniature sized specimen hosts a 1.0 cm, sharp, lustrous, octahedral crystal of Gahnite with a very dark black-green hue sitting on off-white Calcite with minor pink Rhodonite. There is a tiny point of incomplete growth on the tip of the Gahnite crystal, but it's hardly noticeable without magnification. If you're a Franklin mineral collector, this is a great chance to get your hands on a hard to find piece from the Trotter Mine for your collection.