Northupite (rare fine crystal)

Item Description

Here we have a fantastic "floater" octahedron of Northupite, a rare sodium magnesium chloro carbonate species that dates back to 1895, when it was named in honor of the man who first discovered it, Charles Henry Northup II. The species is found in a few dozen world localities, but the crystals from Katwe Crater Lake in Uganda are exemplary for the species. This piece is a well-formed, sharp, lustrous crystal with a smoky silvery-grey hue and even a bit of translucency around the edges when backlit. Like I mentioned, it's a complete "floater", crystallized on all sides with no damage. If you collect rarities, thumbnails or oddball locality specimens, don't let this excellent piece slip away, as they are seldom offered for sale these days. From the collection of Colin Manlove.