Gypsum (classic ''floater'' specimen)

Item Description

Gypsum is found in many world localities, so it's difficult to find distinctive examples that stand out from others. One could say that the specimens from the Red River Floodway in Manitoba, Canada are some of the most iconic and instantly recognizable specimens of the species. Their beautiful form combined with excellent quality crystals make them a must have for any fan of Gypsum as a species, or fine crystallization. When these specimens first came to the market, many collectors thought that that they were some of the most impressive, flashy and colorful specimens of Gypsum from any world locality. This small cabinet specimen features a "halo" of rich golden colored, sharp, lustrous gemmy blades of Gypsum which have formed around the perimeter of the interior of an earlier generation of sandy spherical aggregates of Gypsum. The largest bladed of Gypsum measures 2.3 cm. This particular style is different from most I've seen from this locality, as it reminds me of a Pyrite "sun" in terms of the somewhat flattened formation, and the fiery color really helps reinforce that comparison. This piece is a complete "floater", and formed in a calcium clay/sediment, with no point of attachment whatsoever. Once the sediment was rinsed off, the perfect specimen was revealed. The piece is beautifully fluorescent as well! Another important aspect of this specimen is that it is NOT repaired, which makes a difference with this material, as many were glued back together. Don't miss out on what I'm sure will be considered a Canadian "classic" in years to come. Excellent size, form, aesthetics and quality.
From the collection of Armon McPherson, a retired physicist, now living in New Mexico. Armon received his PhD from North Carolina State University in 1985, and worked at the laser laboratory at the University of Illinois at Circle Center. In the summer of 1997, Armon moved to the Argonne National Laboratory where he worked at the Advanced Photon Source, then the world’s largest synchrotron facility dedicated as an x-ray source. In 2001, he was asked to join a team at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque to conduct laser research for DARPA. Finally, staying within Sandia, he transferred to the Z Facility, the world’s most powerful x-ray facility. He retired in the spring of 2017. Armon's introduction to mineral collecting came in the 1980s during graduate school when he attended his first mineral show. He took up the hobby of faceting gems, and focused his early collection on gem crystals, and later transitioned into collecting non-gem species. We are proud to offer specimens from his worldwide mineral collection here for you.