VILLIAUMITE
Specimen vil-3
$ 75.00Dims: 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.