Nikischerite (ridiculously rare)

Item Description

This piece hails from the only significant discovery of this incredibly rare species at the famed Huanuni Mine in Bolivia. It was collected in July/August of 2000, and was personally acquired by Brian Kosnar at the mine direct from the miners. Some reports say that this Nikischerite discovery was in 2001 or 2002, but Brian was there in person when they came out in 2000. This is a great specimen of the immensely rare sulfate Nikischerite (named for mineralogist and dealer Tony Nikischer). This mineral is the iron analogue of the manganese species Shigaite, and there is only ONE place on Earth where it has been found. This piece features a group of fine quality, lustrous, spherical crystal group of dark brown to greenish colored Nikischerite, free of matrix. It is incredibly difficult to find specimens on the market, especially multi-aggregate groups like this. Keep in mind that these pieces are essentially from a one time find at Huanuni and there has yet to be any more to hit the market since. I was told by Alfredo Petrov that Nikischerite was actually discovered by miners at Huanuni in the 1980s, in a limited quantity, but nothing was ever analyzed, and it wasn't until about 20 years later that more good specimens were found and finally identified. Keep in mind that when it comes to extremely rare minerals, most of them are tiny/microscopic, and I would argue that Nikischerite is one of the rarest minerals in the world that you can actually see with the naked eye. In Brian's estimation, there may be no more than 100-200 pieces of this species in the world. Don't miss out on this opportunity to own a fantastic specimen of a VERY rare species. From Brian Kosnar's personal collection.