Vanadinite var: Arsenic-bearing Vanadinite

Item Description

An impressive and beautiful old-time Vanadinite from Morocco, but not from the famous locality at Mibladen, best known for its red colored crystals, but rather from the older diggings at Touissit. The Touissit specimens feature crystals that have a distinctive form and color that easily distinguishes them from their Mibladen cousins. This hefty small cabinet sized piece features good sized crystals for the locality (and the species in general) that measure up to 1.3 cm long with a deep brown hue and an almost semi-metallic luster on the surface. Virtually all of the crystals are damage free and show excellent prismatic hexagonal form. I love the way the crystals are intergrown to create such a showy and aesthetic piece, that you can display from a few different angles. Valued $1,500.
From the worldwide mineral collection of Rich ("Dick") Hauck of New Jersey. Dick is an avid collector of minerals, books, and mining memorabilia, along with being an accomplished author in the mineral world. Arguably, his greatest claim to fame is being the co-founder of the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, NJ. Dick purchased the land on which the Sterling Hill Mine resides in 1988, and the museum has been running strong since.