Wightmanite (extremely rare) (ex Matioli Collection)

Item Description

Wightmanite is an extremely rare magnesium borate species only found in three localities in the world (all in California). The species was named after Randall Wightman (1915-1969), who was the former director of exploration and mining for the Riverside Cement Company. This piece is from the type locality for Wightmanite, the Commercial Quarry in Crestmore, California, where the best pieces have been found. This piece features thin prismatic crystals of Wightmanite sitting on granular Dolomite matrix. The color ranges from orange to tan, and I'm told that this might be due to the crystals altering (at least in part) to Szaibelyite. You never see specimens of Wightmanite for sale, and if you're a collector of rare minerals, or species from the type locality, this is a fantastic opportunity to get your hands on something that is virtually absent from the marketplace. he piece comes from noted Brazilian mineral collector Paolo Matioli, and is accompanied by a label from David Garske, stating that the piece was collected in 1953 from C. Jenni.