Vanadinite (rare locality specimen)

Item Description

The Vanadinite specimens from the Bridal Veil Mine in northwestern Arizona are not only incredibly hard to find on the market, they have notably distinctive habit and color that is not commonly seen in the species. Most people think of red six-sided crystals when it comes to Vanadinite, but these pieces features rather modified crystal groups with an eye-catchingly silvery-brown hue. The habit of the crystals is almost botryoidal in appearance, and it's due to the fact that the crystals are tightly intergrown, and in a way resemble the famous "Campylite" Mimetites from the Dry Gill Mine in England (which makes sense as Vanadinite and Mimetite form a series) and often form very similar shaped crystals. This particular specimen is decades old, and is one of the best examples we've had to offer from the locality. For reference, the largest Vanadinite group measures about 5 mm across.
From the collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman. Dave is now retired from mining, but was formerly the foreman and primary person in charge of recovering specimens at the famous Sweet Home Mine near Alma, Colorado during the late 1970s, and the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. See Dave's photo mining at the Sweet Home on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".​