Hancockite with Axinite-(Mn) (rare) (ex Richard A. Kosnar Collection

Item Description

Hancockite is a rare lead-bearing member of the Epidote group, and famously found at Franklin. For a time this species was briefly renamed "Epidote-(Pb)", but the efforts of some dedicated fans of mineralogy and Elwood P. Hancock, for whom the species was named, were able to get it changed back to Hancockite in 2015. This thumbnail specimen features micro crystals of attractive, lustrous, gemmy / translucent, thin prismatic crystals of rich reddish-brown Hancockite associated with tiny pale yellow colored "blades" of Axinite-(Mn), and some very small white crystals, which could be Cahnite, but it's impossible to tell visually. It is likely that there is a small amount of Andradite Garnet on the piece, but I couldn't find anything after looking under the microscope. We have photographed the piece with a Canon MP-E 65 mm macro lens to better illustrate the quality. From the collection of Richard A. Kosnar, famed mineral dealer and the namesake for the phosphate species Kosnarite.