Samarskite-(Y) (very rare locality specimen)

Item Description

A very hard to find, old time Samarskite (now Samarskite-(Y)) from the lesser known Bird Rock Claim in San Diego County, California which produced only a few examples of the species years ago, and this is only the second one we've seen in person. A somewhat blocky, prismatic specimen of Samarskite-(Y) with a black-brown hue free of matrix. It's a great rarity for any collector of California minerals or just a collector or tantalates. The piece is glued to a base with an old label and price tag of $40. It probably dates back 50+ years.