Sand-included Calcite crystals (Kay Robertson Coll.)

Item Description

Dramatically sculptural large sand-included calcite crystals from this well-known locale. The site is a now a National Natural Landmark (NNL) and is closed to collecting. Specimens were fairly common prior to the designation in 1967, but now only come from recycled collections. The tightly intergrown rounded scalenohedrons are up to 4.8 cm (doubly terminated). Some bruised crystals are noted, but are certainly only a modest detraction this most interesting 360-degree example. Ex Kay Robertson Collection # 258 and acquired as a raffle win at a mineral show, probably in the 1950s. 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).