Wadeite (very rare)

Item Description

There are over 500 different minerals that have been reported from the Khibiny Massif in Russia, including many rare minerals like Wadeite, a potassium zirconium silicate, name in honor of Arthur Wade, who was British-born Australian petroleum geologist, credited with discovering the first specimens of the material from the Walgidee Hills of Western Australia. Certainly the best and most well-known examples of the species in the modern era of collecting are those from the Khibiny Massif and this piece is a good example of said material featuring several attractive lilac colored hexagonal crystals measuring up to 4 mm, sitting on matrix. The crystals look beautiful up close and we've photographed them with a Canon MP-E 65 mm macro lens to better illustrate the quality.
Ex Colin Manlove Collection