large Rhodochrosite with Schorl, Topaz and Albite (rare locale - new find)

Item Description

Rhodochrosite is rare from Pakistan and from any pegmatite occurrence worldwide as well, and yet here we have a truly exceptional and colorful LARGE pegmatite combination specimen from Pakistan featuring at least half a dozen species! The Rhodochrosite on this piece of course steals the show with at least three dozen, bright pink, bladed crystals all over the display area! The flattened rhombohedra (disc-like crystals) range in size from 5 mm to 2 cm across and many are interconnected. They display great luster and some have interesting triangular growth features on the broad faces. Silicate minerals in the vug (or pocket) that formed earlier than the Rhodochrosite at the time they formed (probably nearly 100 million years ago when India slammed into the bottom of Asia and created the Himalaya Mountains) include Microcline, Quartz, Albite, Aquamarine, and Tourmaline. The exterior of this complete vug is dominantly a mix of intergrown crystals of Quartz, Microcline, and Albite, all of them milky white to white in color. Inside the pocket, there are a few sharp crystals of white Microcline to 2 cm, a couple of pale blue Aquamarine crystals from 1 to 1.5 cm, and at least a dozen jet-black Schorl Tourmaline crystals to a few centimeters (although none of the schorl is terminated, they do add great contrast!). Rosettes of Cleavelandite are present throughout and there are even some later clusters of small pale gray, transparent Quartz crystals that are perched on a few of the Cleavelandites. Colorful and super interesting! This seems to be, so far as we know, the largest single specimen recovered from a surprising find here in 2021. We bought the pocket, as much as was shown, and will have other specimens for sale at Tucson and on the websites - but this is definitely the largest, and a measurable percentage of the special pocket is right here all by itself. To give gut feeling measurements, this is about the size of half a volleyball. Pakistani rhodochrosite is so uncommon, and to see a large cabinet display piece is rather shocking. It is hard to put a value on such a dramatic, large, freak-location rhodo!