Paravauxite with Sigloite (very rare) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

These crystals are one of the most beautiful phosphates in the world. They are highly prized for their rarity and beauty. This piece features superb, incredibly rare, sharp, lustrous light green crystals of Paravauxite measuring up to 1.2 cm with tan colored crystal of Sigloite on matrix. Sigloite forms as the result of alteration from Paravauxite. This specimen is from the type locality for both species! 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 on the market. This piece is a great example of the prismatic, sheaf-like parallel growths that Mr. Bandy described. Valued at $500. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#8236). Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017).