Villiaumite (gemmy)

Item Description

Villiaumite is a simply Halide species, that has a very characteristic color. The species was named after French explorer Maxime Villiaume, in recognition of his efforts for acquiring collections of minerals from Madagascar and Guinea, as the species was first noted in one of this collections he ammased. This crystal is a fine example of Villiaumite with incredibly sharp, well-formed, cubic faces. At first glance, the piece appears to be nearly black (very dark red), but when backlit, one can see a intense carmine red hue! A very worthwhile and eye-catching gemmy crystal of this well known species from the classic locality at Mont Saint-Hilaire