Paravauxite (Type Locality - old)

Item Description

An extremely rich and excellent old-time specimen of this rare hydrated phosphate from the famous Type Locality. Very glassy light green to colorless lathes, to about 1.0 cm, are densely festooned on matrix. Paravauxite was named in 1922 by Sam Gordon of the Philadelphia Academy, who collected the original pieces. The two labels date to the 1940s and 50s. Gordon may have collected this piece. From an East Coast collection. Mark Chance Bandy described Paravauxite crystals in his book "Mineralogy of Llallagua, Bolivia". He states that Paravauxite is the most abundant of all the "Vauxites" from this mine," and with that said, you almost never see specimens, especially pieces that are larger than thumbnails available. This piece is a great example of the prismatic, sheaf-like parallel growths that Mr. Bandy described.