Variscite, Wardite & Crandallite (old classic) James Carter Coll.

Item Description

An exceptionally sculptural and colorful old-time combination phosphate polished end nodule from this famous extinct Utah locale. The 2.0 cm pretty banded green Variscite "swoosh" is dramatically accompanied by striking banded patterns of blue-gray Wardite and yellow-green Crandallite. The off-white segmented vugs add even more character to this outstanding slab. This mine is the Type Locality for Wardite. Ex Dr. James Carter Collection. James was a professor of Geology and former Department Chairman at the University of Texas at Dallas for 43 years until he retired in 2008. A true geoscientist, he studied and performed research on a remarkable variety of geological aspects. NASA asked Carter to help create a material that was similar to actual lunar regolith. The lunar regolith simulant, or fake moon dirt, he developed was used by NASA and other researchers for studies in support of future human activities on the moon. Read about the locality in the 2010 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 41, No. 4. Classic old-time and rare combination phosphate material from this mine. Most slabs do not have as rich Wardite and Crandallite.