Vesuvianite (''Egeran'') (rare old locality specimen)

Item Description

An old-time specimen of the elusive Vesuvianites from Hazlov, Czech Republic. These specimens were called "Egeran" in honor of the town of Cheb (Eger in German) in the modern day Czech Republic. They were for a time considered a variety of Vesuvianite, but it seems today they are simply synonyms, and "Egeran" is an archaic term that is no longer in use. This piece features radiating "sprays" of thin prismatic brown Vesuvianite crystals on all sides of this small cabinet specimen. These are notably rare on the market, mined in the 1800s. An interesting historic note about "Egeran" The German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, actually visited Cheb circa 1821-1822 and wrote about it in his diary. About 10 years later, Goethe dedicated a poem to the "Egeran", which cannot be said of most minerals.
The piece was pictured in Collector's Guide to the Vesuvianite Group (written by Bob Lauf), but please note that the book is not included with this listing.
From the collection of longtime mineral collector Dr. Bob Lauf (Collection #3376), the author of the Mineral Collectors Guide books (Schiffer Publishing), widely seen at mineral shows and libraries. Robert Lauf grew up in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois, ultimately receiving a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering. His scientific career included over twenty years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he conducted research on topics ranging from nuclear fuel, coal by-products, materials synthesis, microwave processing, sensors, optical materials, and biomineralization. He has been granted over forty U.S. Patents for his inventions, many of which have become successful industrial products. He is now a Registered Patent Agent and technology consultant.