Illite pseudomorph after Halite (ex Kay Robertson and Scott Williams Collection)

Item Description

An unusual specimen of Illite (a variety of Muscovite) replacing cubic Halite from a deposit in the "Auburn Shale" near Peru, Nebraska. The crystals measure up to 8 mm on edge. Strange material, I've never offered anything like it before in the aucitons. The label accompanying the piece states that the piece is a "cast" of Halite in the Illite Shale, but I found a few others listed online that are labeled as Illite after Halite. The label also states that it was found at the "Bohling Farm". A really cool piece of this rare material from Nebraska. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#7291) with a label from Scott Williams that states it was from his personal collection. Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017).