Monazite-(Ce) - California!

Item Description

Fine tabular crystal of Monazite-(Ce), with Muscovite, from a rare locaiton for the species in California! It is from the Southern Pacific Silica Quarry and we suspect Bob collected these himself, as I had not seen them elsewhere before. HIHGLY unusual for the species and from a USA locale! The 2 cm Monazite crystal has a fine, root beer color and the major prism face has an interesting and attractive tiered habit. Monazite is primarily found in granitic and gneissic rocks, and it is not uncommon to find the Cerium replaced in small amounts by other rare earth elements. It can even have trace amounts of Uranium and Thorium. This an aesthetic, well-balanced thumbnail. This was recently deaccessed from the extensive collection of Bob Reynolds, who cherished both minerals and fossils as he collected. Bob is a prolific author and has had several curating positions in museums.