"Ram's horn" Selenite (Texas!) James Carter Coll.

Item Description

Rare and classic "Ram's horn" selenite (gypsum) from Terlingua. A full ram's horn and a stout larger partial horn of crystallized gypsum set on the shale matrix form a very aesthetic, sculptural and pristine 360-degree small cabinet. Gypsum was found in limestone caverns. The mercury mines (mostly cinnabar) opened in the 1880s and finally closed after World War II. See the 1990 Mineralogical Record article in Vol. 21, No. 3. Ex Dr. James Carter Collection. James was a professor of Geology and former Department Chairman at the University of Texas at Dallas for 43 years until he retired in 2008. A true geoscientist, he studied and performed research on a remarkable variety of geological aspects. NASA asked Carter to help create a material that was similar to actual lunar regolith. The lunar regolith simulant, or fake moon dirt, he developed was used by NASA and other researchers for studies in support of future human activities on the moon. He passed away in 2019. We just acquired part of his collection. Read about James at: https://www.utdallas.edu/news/faculty-staff/carter-tribute-2019/. How often do you see a superb old Terlingua rams horn selenite of this quality? A MUST for the Texas, species or locality collector!