Siderite & Cryolite (Chet Lemanski Coll.)

Item Description

Lustrous brown to black Siderite rhombs and cleavages with rare translucent grayish-white Cryolite form a rich, showy and impressive 360-degree mounded combination specimen from the famous extinct Ivigtut cryolite deposit. The siderite rhombs reach 3.5 cm on diagonal. Ivigtut was the world's only mine for Cryolite. This rare Na-Al halide was originally used as aluminium ore and later in the electrolytic processing of the aluminium ore bauxite. Mining started in the 1850s and the last ore shipment was in the 1980s. Old material, mostly from the 1800s and early 1900s. Formerly in the Lester Barrer Collection. Ex Chet Lemanski Collection and acquired in 1988 from Dick Hauck. This is an extremely rich siderite specimen for the locale.