Kurnakovite (fine crystals) (ex Bob Reynolds Collection)

Item Description

Kurnakovite is a rare hydrated magnesium borate species, and some of the finest examples are those from the U.S. Borax open pit in Boron, California. These crystals actually come out of the ground colorless, but they turn a chalky white color upon exposure to the outside air. This piece is an excellent example of this rare material featuring a few superb, sharp, very well-formed / textbook, blocky triclinic crystals in a gradually descending formation. Minor spherical beige Ulexite can be seen on the piece as well. Very good quality and incredibly hard to find on the market now. I found a post on mindat.org from Rock Currier that said, "Kurnakovite crystals were only found during the very early days of open pit mining at Boron. Several hundred specimens were collected at various times but you don't often see one for sale". For reference, Rock went on to say that these pieces can be somewhat restored by placing them in, "room temperature water for about ten minutes and then taken out and the surface brushed and rinsed off. This left the crystals much like it was originally but you can tell that the surface has been degraded a little and not as shiny as the original". Don't miss out on this wonderful specimen of this desirable and classic material. From the collection of Robert (Bob) Reynolds (#RR0474) who passed in August of 2020. Bob was a well-known fossil and mineral expert and former Curator of Earth Sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum in California. The rare phyllomanganate-chromate species Reynoldsite was named in his honor in 2011.