Ludlamite (fine classic crystals)

Item Description

Ludlamite is an uncommon iron phosphate species, which honestly is only a handful of classic localities in terms of fine specimens. The old crystals from Cornwall, England are well-known but virtually non-existent on the market, and more contemporary pieces from places like Huanuni, Bolivia; Santa Eulalia, Mexico and Trepča, Kosovo are also very hard to find. Without a doubt, the finest Ludlamites from any North American locality are those from the Blackbird Mine in Idaho. This piece is a wonderful small cabinet example of this well-known material featuring a rich coverage of very gemmy, rather sharp, fine light green colored crystals measuring to about 4 mm, sitting atop a thin layer of matrix Nearly all of the crystals are undamaged, and look fantastic under magnification, as they have superb euhedral form with wedge-shaped terminations. Some of the crystals even have slight "phantom" zoning internally when backlit. Old material, dating back to the 1960s, and the no more will ever be found as the mine is long closed.