VILLIAUMITE
Specimen vil-1

Dims: 1.77x1.14x1.50" (4.5x2.9x3.8 cm)

Wt: 1.58 oz. (44.6g)

Khibiny, Russia

This large thumbnail specimen has many characteristic maroon-red villiaumite crystals on a matrix (unidentified) that also contains many schorl tourmaline crystals. The villiaumite is translucent, even transparent in thin sections. The boxlike crystals have a metallic red luster, but dark and dull in some places. Only a couple of the crystals are in relatively good shape, as most appear to be cleavage faces. The matrix mineral (colorless, transparent, perfect cleavage, parting at right angles) reminds me of diopside, or spodumene.

Dims: 1.9x2.1x1.0" (4.9x5.4x2.5 cm)

Wt: 1.8 oz. (50.8g)

Khibiny, Russia

This specimen has several clusters of deep reddish-orange villiaumite crystals. They are translucent, almost transparent, and look a bright orange color where thin sections are exposed. At first glance, the color is so deep that the crystals appear a deep red. The crystals are clear enough that there is a red sparkle from some of the crystals. The base appears to be albite.

Dims: 4.29x2.76x1.97" (10.90x7.00x5.01cm)

Wt: 14.42oz (408g)

Koashva, Khibini, Russia

This is a good hand specimen of villiaumite, which many crystals of this deep red mineral. Close examination shows that the crystals are transparent, appearing deep orange-red in some areas and deep wine red in others. While most of the surfaces are cleavage, there are enough natural terminations to reveal the cubic habit of the crystals. This specimen also displays other minerals including a large spray of golden-brown astrophyllite, and many green crystals that look like elbaite tourmaline. There are also a few patches of a yellow fuzzy mineral that I have not identified, and all of this is embedded in a matrix of at least three different white or colorless translucent minerals. Note that everything dark in the images is villiaumite - there is a lot of it here.