Vesuvianite (old classic) (Mined: 1837)

Item Description

A nearly 200 year old specimen of Vesuvianite from the Zermatt area in the Swiss Alps. The hand-written antique label accompanying the piece states that it was collected in 1837! This large thumbnail / toenail sized piece is filled with excellent, very sharp, highly lustrous, blocky little crystals measuring up to 5 mm, with notable striations on the prisms showing a rich golden-brown hue internally when backlit, covering both sides of the thin matrix. No major damage I can see, and the crystals are beautiful up close. A fantastic antique specimen from this classic locality in Switzerland.
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 #2655), 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.