Ludwigite (uncommon borate) Ordway Coll.

Item Description

Ludwigite is a relatively rare magnesium iron oxy borate that occurs in very thin, fibrous, metallic crystals, and sometimes as inclusions in other minerals such as forsterite (peridot). This two-sided piece is an incredibly rich wedge of essentially solid ludwigite featuring a myriad of sprays of layered "needle"-like crystals of ludwigite with a beautiful, chatoyant, silky luster and silvery metallic appearance. The piece is from this classic and well-known Italian locality, an iron mine. A very worthwhile specimen of this hard to find material on this side of the Atlantic. Ex Al Ordway Collection # 2544 and obtained in a trade in 1985.