Hausmannite ps. Manganite

Item Description

This is an old-time miniature pseudomorph from the famous Ilfeld area, featuring lustrous gray hausmannite that has replaced prismatic manganite crystals, creating an attractive and unique specimen. This is uncommon and excellent classic material from this renowned locality. Most of these old pieces were extracted between 1865 and 1890, as detailed in the excellent 2010 Ilfeld article in The Mineralogical Record. According to the label on these when sold (Gunnar Farber label), the specimen likely originated from an old dump dating back to the 15th century! Ex Jingnan (Tom) Zhang.