Vesuvianite (var: Chromian) (rich color) (ex Charlie Key)

Item Description

The famous Jeffrey Mine is Quebec is now finished, but it has produced some of the most iconic Vesuvianite specimens in history. Everybody loves the beautiful yellow-green and purple (manganoan) colored crystals that came out for decades, but the rarely seen intense green crystals (caused by chromium content) are just as desirable. Typically the green Vesuvianite crystals aren't as big as their yellow or purple counterparts, but they are stunning to view. This attractive thumbnail specimen features a handful of sharp, lustrous, gemmy, STRONG emerald green colored Chromian Vesuvianite showing a thin prismatic habit and measuing up to 1.3 cm with tiny light yellow-green crystals of either Grossular or Vesuvianite. It's difficult to tell what the associated species is because they're small, and from some angles they appear to be trapezohedral / dodecahedral (Grossular) or possibly blocky tetragonal prisms (Vesuvianites). Very attractive up close and now very difficult to find on the market. Ex Charlie Key collection. Charlie is arguably the most sucessful dealer of the second half of the 20th century, along with being the namesake for TWO mineral species (Keyite and Ludlockite).