Groutite (classic locale)

Item Description

Wonderful, rare style stalactitic groutite from this ancient manganese-iron mine, that closed in 1976. Tapered, moderately lustrous, nubby, gray-brown stalactites comprise this fanciful, arborescent, 360-degree small cabinet. Both ends were contacted against the vug walls. Most groutite specimens were black, spherical aggregates of microcrystals or bright, tabular single crystals. The mine is well-known for outstanding groutite and other species, that were mostly collected in the early 1960s (MINDAT). Ex Kay Robertson Collection No. 10178 and acquired in 1983. 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). She passed away in 2020. A unique looking groutite from the famous locale.