Metaheinrichite (very rare) (ex David Burgess Collection)

Item Description

Metaheinrichite is a very rare hydrated barium uranium arsenate that is found in less than two dozen world localities, most of which are in Germany. The co-type locality for the species is the White King Mine in Lake County, Oregon (the other is Wittichen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany). Specimens are few and far between, and this might be the first one that we've had to offer in the auctions. The piece hosts many tiny, bladed, beautiful yellow colored crystals of translucent Metaheinrichite sitting on host rock matrix. While the crystals are small, you can see them the naked eye, and the piece shows beautiful fluorescence under UV light! A cool, colorful rarity. From the worldwide collection of David Burgess (1951-2016). David was a prolific species collector from Newington, Connecticut, and the namesake for the extremely rare cobalt arsenate species Burgessite, which he discovered.