Mellite (rare organic mineral) (ex Chet Lemanski Collection)

Item Description

An attractive crystal cluster of the rare organic mineral species Mellite from the classic locality, the Csordakúti Mine in Hungary. The piece is filled with rather sharp, well-formed octahedral crystals of a sandy-brown color measuring up to 1.4 cm. Some of the larger crystals show attractive diamond-shaped cubic modifications on the corners. Overall, the piece is in good shape, but there are some small areas of imperfection. The significant aspect of this piece is the fact that there are so many crystals present! Typically, most of the pieces you'll see from this locality featuring only a few crystals (or sometimes just one), so I can say that this piece is one of the richest examples we've had to offer in the auctions. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #15105CL. Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.