Titanite on Oligoclase

Item Description

PLEASE NOTE: This specimen came to us labeled from Spain, but the locality is actually in Portugal. These specimens date back several decades, and the listing on mindat.org states that the most recent closure took place in 1973, so the piece is almost certainly 50+ years old. One rarely finds specimens from this old dolerite / ophite quarry on the market today. This piece features an attractive, sharp, lustrous, bladed, "wedge"-shaped crystal of gemmy olive-green colored Titanite measuring 8 mm sitting atop cream colored blocky Oligoclase (a variety of Albite) crystals on matrix. No damage, very attractive up close (and when backlit), and a signature example from this lesser known locality that lies about 150 km north of Lisbon.