Laubmannite (of Moore) (rare phosphate) Don Owens Coll.

Item Description

Originally described as a rare phosphate species, Laubmannite was found at the Coon Creek Mine in Polk County. The type material was discredited in 1990, when it was determined to be a mixture of the phosphates dufrenite, kidwellite and beraunite. It is possibly Laubmannite (of Moore), a valid, but presently officially unnamed species which was originally described by Moore (1970) and later structurally characterised by Kolitsch (2004) (MINDAT). That being said, this remains a significant, important, rich and very showy miniature of this extremely rare phosphate from Polk County. The striking intergrown botryoidal sections are composed of lustrous, radiating, banded, greenish-brown to orange-yellow, acicular crystals. This piece bears a strong resemblence to botyroidal dufrenite and kidwellite specimens from this area. Ex Don Owens Collection. Don was the Chief Geologist at the old Union Carbide vanadium mine in Arkansas and we recently obtained his collection.