Tantalite ps. Microlite

Item Description

Every now and then, you get a pseudomorph, or a replacement of one mineral by another, that really surprises you! This is an example where the rare species tantalite has replaced, molecule by molecule, the original octahedral crystal of what was presumably microlite. The new crystal preserves the octahedral shape of the microlite, although normally tantalite would not take this shape on its own. It is a sharp and elegant example of this rare replacement, with the central crystal measuring to 1.4 cm on edge, and perched in a matrix of feldspar and muscovite. These were brought out mostly by dealer Herb Obodda, out of a very small find made in the summer of 2007.