Tantalite (Stibiotantalite?) (RARE locality specimen) (ex Bill Larson Collection)

Item Description

A truly rare and good quality specimen from a locality that is not well-known outside of Southern California. This piece is simply labeled as "Tantalite", but the only Tantalite species reported from this locality is Stibiotantalite, so I feel safe in assuming that this is the case for this piece, but it has not been analyzed to confirm this guess. This attractive miniature sized specimen hosts a black, blocky, prismatic, striated crystal of "Tantalite" measuring 3.7 cm at its longest dimension sitting atop a small amount of Albite (var: Cleavelandite) and gently festooned with delicate silvery-beige colored groups of Muscovite on both sides. The Tantalite is complete on all sides, undamaged and stands out as the single largest example we've ever had to offer in the auctions from this locality. It's certainly more of a recondite kind of specimen, but if you collect esoteric minerals, or if you're a fan of San Diego County material, this is a big deal in terms of the size and quality of the Tantalite itself, especially for the locality. From the collection of Bill Larson of Fallbrook, California. Bill is a well-known gem and mineral dealer as well as a miner and collector. Bill is synonymous with minerals of San Diego County, and owned and operated famous mines such as the Stewart Lithia, the Tourmaline Queen, the Pala Chief and the Himalaya, producing some of the most iconic mineral specimens to come out of the area during the 1970s-1980s. You can read his biography at https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/larsonwilliam-f/