Manganoan Dolomite w/ Calcite (classic locale) ex Bembia Coll.

Item Description

Very sculptural, aesthetic and uncommon large two-sided Manganoan Dolomite from recent finds from the historic silver-polymetallic mines at Trepca. Pretty pastel-pink, intergrown rhombs have striking pearlescent nubby faces and are nicely accented with scattered small colorless, translucent calcite rhombs (but the larger crystals turn out to be Dolomite). The impressive large stepped-growth rhomb on the front is 9.2 cm long on the diagonal, but is even longer on the back at 10.2 cm on the diagonal. Pink calcite fluorescence. Ex Paul Bembia Collection. The specimen was sold to Paul by a Kosovo dealer as Manganoan Calcite. Comparison with Dolomite and Calcite specimens illustrated in the MINDAT Photo Gallery for Trepca pieces indicates these are Dolomite rhombs and not Calcite. See the 2007 Mineralogical Record article in Vol. 38, No. 4. A very fine and uncommon large example from recent finds at Trepca. Superb for the size and aesthetics!