Vauxite with Paravauxite and Childrenite (rare TWO-sided specimen)

Item Description

This piece is a remarkable, very well crystallized, ridiculously rare, specimen consisting of small, bladed, beautiful blue color, radiating aggregates of Vauxite coated by with tabular blades of greenish-white Paravauxite on minor clay (probably decomposed Allophane) matrix. Please note that this piece is somewhat fragile, and must be handled with care as it can crumble if one is not careful. There are also some very tiny spots of brownish-tan Childrenite on the specimen as well. I have photographed the Vauxite, Paravauxite and Childrenite crystals under the microscope to show that they are truly terminated crystals and not just a mass. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the piece is the fact that it is crystallized on BOTH sides, giving the viewer a great variety of angles to display it form. It is very difficult to obtain any specimens of this incredibly beautiful phosphate and to find two "Vauxite" species together on one piece is fantastic. This piece is from the type locality for Vauxite and Paravauxite which were originally discovered along the Contacto and San Jose veins in this mine and first described by Sam Gordon and Mark Bandy. It is so unbelievably rare to find good size, beautifully crystallized specimens of Vauxite and Paravauxite together from Bolivia like this one.