Microlite Group

Item Description

I will start off by saying that this piece is listed as Microlite Group because the species Microlite is no longer valid. Historically these pieces from Ploskaya Mt. were labeled as Plumbomicrolite, but that's no longer a valid species either. In recent years, I've seen certain pieces labeled as Kenoplumbomicrolite, but I cannot say with 100% certainty that this is the case for this specific specimen, so we are leaving it simply as Microlite Group. This specimen is a good crystallized example of these classic crystals from the Kola Peninsula. The two most significant factors for me are the fact that the crystals have a beautiful yellow-orange color (not a dingy brown hue) and they're on matrix, which is rare as most I've seen are often loose singles. The piece dates back several decades and was collected circa 1960s-1970s. A few rather sharp, well-formed, octahedral crystals measuring up to 1.0 cm on edge are sitting on white Albite matrix. The crystals are in fine condition, no major damage I can see, perhaps only a tiny bit of roughness when viewed up close. A really attractive and showy specimen that is not often seen in such eye-catching matrix display-quality examples.
From the collection of Richard ("Rich") Kosnar (1946-2007), the well-known mineral dealer and collector from Colorado. He was the namesake for the rare zirconium phosphate mineral, Kosnarite. He acquired this piece from his good friend, Gene Foord, who worked for the USGS in Golden, Colorado. Gene was fortunate enough to travel to Russia in 1992, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union and brought home a few specimens for Rich. Rock Currier was also part of this trip, and I found a photo of Gene at Stoneflower ( https://www.mindat.org/photo-454636.html ).