strange, Irish Calcite (fluorescent)

Item Description

An unusual calcite from anywhere, particularly from Ireland! Picture yourself out walking among New Mexico's famous White Sands dunes under the light of a full moon, and you can appreciate the eerie beauty of this rather singular Calcite, especially with its blue-white fluorescent glow. The lenticular habit (think an 'expanded metal grating', edge on) is extraordinary. These pockets range up to 2 cm tip-to-tip, with the outsides coated by a drusy Calcite that actually mimics the sparkly look of the White Sands Gypsum crystals, and the interiors are populated by micro Calcites up to perhaps 1 mm. The photos give you a taste of this large cabinet specimen's charm and appeal, but it is even better in person, by far. Recently deaccessed from the Tim Sherburn collection.