Tantalite-(Fe)

Item Description

This is a good crystal of Tantalite-(Fe) from Linopolis in Minas Gerais State. The crystal is dense as you would expect and is a sub-metallic dark gray-black that is about two-thirds complete with prism faces on the back, front, one side and partially at the top and the bottom. The front has two, smaller, flat, low-profile sidecar crystals in parallel growth and displays fine striations parallel to the length of the crystal. The top, small, partial termination is an angled, wedge-shape; actually two, suggesting two crystals are in near parallel growth, and the bottom termination is twice as large as the top and has just a single wedge. The remainder of the crystal consists of numerous subcrystal faces in what appears to be the incomplete areas, but may represent where the crystal grew with others in the pocket. A good example of Tantalite-(Fe) from Brazil.