HydroxyApophyllite and Inesite ex Charlie Key

Item Description

Wow, these are large hydroxyapophyllite (much more rare than their cousin Fluorapophyllite) crystals from the Kalahari Manganese Field! These big, lustrous, translucent crystals are nearly colorless at the rims and turbid to white at their interiors. The crystals range from 1 to 2.5 cm in maximum dimension and are clustered, but crystals are distinct and show some parallel growth of their pseudocubic crystals that have sharply defined edges. There is minor contacting around the periphery, but little damage to the display area. The apophyllites are set off by contrasting dark pink to reddish, divergent sprays of Inesite... and there a few tiny tufts of Inesite just inside the transparent surface of the Fluorapophyllite crystals for added interest and aesthetics! Old specimen from the 1990s or before, ex Charlie Key's collection which we purchased in the early 2000s. At the time, this was valued $2000 or something by him for the rarity.