Manganite (ex Rich Kosnar and Pat Gross Collections)

Item Description

This specimen hosts a rarely seen sharp, lustrous, prismatic crystal of Manganite on matrix from the famous Buckwheat Pit in Franklin. The crystal is small (<1mm), but can be seen clearly with a loupe. I have photographed the crystal under the microscope, which is truly the best way to view it since the piece is a micro specimen. A great Manganite from the famous Rich Kosnar collection, who obtained it from noted New Jersey collector Pat Gross, in whose box the piece remains mounted. The only information I can find for Manganite from Franklin can be found here (http://franklin-sterlinghill.com/palache/manganite.stm). I am not a Franklin expert, and it is possible that the species has been misidentified since there is so little written about the material.