-
Kosnarite on Montebrasite (named for Rich Kosnar) (ex Brian Kosnar Collection)
- Jenipapo district, Itinga, Taquaral, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Cabinet, 10.2 x 6.8 x 5.7 cm
- Start Time: 01/19/2012 6:45:00 pm (CST)
- End Time: 01/26/2012 6:45:00 pm (CST)
- Auction Closed
Item Description
Kosnarite is Potassium, Zirconium Phosphate and was named after Richard Kosnar in 1994. The type locality for this material is Mt. Mica, Maine, and the crystals at that find barely approached 1 mm in diameter. A few years ago, Luiz Menezes made a discovery of what are the finest crystallized Kosnarite specimens in existence with crystals up to 4 mm (which is a quantum leap in size)! This is a specimen from that find featuring sharp, lustrous, yellow color, pseudo-cubic (trigonal) crystals on gemmy yellow-green Montesbrasite and white Albite matrix. I photographed the crystals under the microscope to better illustrate their quality. If you look closely, you'll see a small truncated face on each "cube" of Kosnarite on this specimen, which is actually a pinacoid or a "c" face as these crystals are trigonal and not isometric as they might appear. The quality on this specimen is as good as Kosnarite gets from any locality in the world. The fact that this piece is associated with rarely seen Montebrasite makes all the difference. For the size and number of crystals, it will more than likely end up being a great bargain for one of you lucky bidders. Valued at $950.