Kurnakovite (superb crystal) with Ulexite and Inderite

Item Description

Here we have a superb example of the rare hydrated magnesium borate species, Kurnakovite. Some of the finest examples of the species 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 a fantastic crystal featuring a very sharp, well-formed / textbook, blocky triclinic crystal, associated with minor spherical beige Ulexite, and a bit of Inderite. I can't stress the quality enough, and these are 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, and originally from the collection of Al Ordway (#2556). 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. I value this one in the $1,500-$1,800 range for its superb size and quality.