Manganoan Adamite (early 1980s find)

Item Description

One of the most rare and desired classics of Mexican minerals - and just in general - are these beautiful purple Adamites. Purple Adamite from Mexico is unique in the world, and pockets of this rare purple material have been found only seldom in the nearly 100 years of specimen production at the Ojuela Mine. This is from the best, most famous pocket of the early 1980s and is immediately recognizable by style. This sharp thumbnail-sized cluster has a pretty pastel lavender color and a nicely divergent shape to fill the space. It is from the famous find of the early 1980s, as we said; but there is more: it was selected by the great thumbnail evangelist, Willard Perkin, and is still mounted in his personal "perky box" thumbnail box with his hand cut and pasted label on the foam base. It is what we call a Perky, and more importantly it is a Perky from a contemporary, major find that was never equaled. The color, once thought to be due to cobalt as stated in earlier publications, was later shown to be manganese-induced. This is rare material, and this is a superb, competitive level thumbnail specimen. It was purchased by Bill and Anne Cook at a show in 1982, possibly from Perky himself. Valued $2500-plus as this is rarified thumbnail material.