Heulandite Subgroup (classic locality)

Item Description

A classic old specimen of the famous Heulandites from the Berufjord (Berufjörður) in Iceland. This historic locality is one of the premier old European zeolite localities. Sharp, translucent, pearlescent "sheaves" of Heulandite measuring up to 9 mm sit in a vug on basalt matrix. The crystals range from a light pinkish hue around the periphery to virtually white closer to the center of the vug. Great quality all around, and very good sized for the material. Only a tiny bit of damage, but the piece is in superb shape overall. You never see these anymore on the market, and they're only available in old collections.
The piece was pictured in Collector's Guide to the Zeolite Group (written by Bob Lauf), but please note that the book is not included with this listing.
From the collection of longtime mineral collector Dr. Bob Lauf (Collection #4052), with labels stating the piece was from the collections of John Albanese and A. J. Beres. Bob Lauf is the author of the Mineral Collectors Guide books (Schiffer Publishing), widely seen at mineral shows and libraries. He grew up in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois, ultimately receiving a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering. His scientific career included over twenty years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he conducted research on topics ranging from nuclear fuel, coal by-products, materials synthesis, microwave processing, sensors, optical materials, and biomineralization. He has been granted over forty U.S. Patents for his inventions, many of which have become successful industrial products. He is now a Registered Patent Agent and technology consultant.