Phlogopite

Item Description

Commonly thought of as 'golden' Mica, Phlogopite can be found in a wide range of colors. Specimens of this display quality are few and far between! Crystals from the Kovdor Phlogopite Mine tend to be darker in nature (more Mg, perhaps?), and they often have a subtle, greenish tint, as we see here. The hexagonal crystal on top is a full 7 cm across, nicely formed, and it has the flashy, pearly luster that Micas are known for. It displays perfectly as it sits on a pedestal of other stacked Phlogopite books, themselves composed of even larger hexagonal crystals. Most notable of all is the unique stellate patterns on the terminations/cleavages planes of Kovdor Phlogopites. Thought to possibly be gas inclusions, the star patterns mimic the six-sided geometry of the crystals. Interesting and attractive to look at, more fascinating still is the fact that the two star patterns seen here are distinctly different. One is simple and sharp, while the other is vastly complex. They add a great aesthetic to this well-formed, cabinet-sized specimen. From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl, a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces.