PEROVSKITE
Specimen prv-4

Dims: 2.7 x 1.9 x 0.7" (6.9 x 4.8 x 1.8 cm)

Wt: 2.36 oz. (67.1 g)

San Benito County, California, U.S.A.

The pale gray host rock of this specimen contains scores of tiny Perovskite blades. These blades are in excellent condition, showing only slight damage, and do not exceed 0.1" (3 mm) in diameter. Their form is rather odd, I think- the crystals occur as hexagonal or pseudohexagonal blades. One of my manuals states that the normal form for Perovskite is orthorhombic, in a pseudocubic form. Their color is a moderately dark gray, and their luster is dull and resinous, but appears nearly submetallic in some way. Each crystal is noticeably translucent. The Perovskites are accompanied by several black "melanite" andradite garnets.

Dims: 2.6 x 1.7 x 1.4" (6.6 x 4.3 x 3.6 cm)

Wt: 2.26 oz. (64.2 g)

San Benito County, California, U.S.A.

A thin crust made up of hundreds of tiny Perovskite blades rests on the chalky, white host rock of this specimen. These blades appear to be in very good condition, as the crust shows little damage, and do not exceed 0.1" in any dimension. Their orthorhombic form is odd in that they occur as pseudohexagonal blades instead of the common pseudocubic form. All have a gray coloration and a dull luster that borders on submetallic, and are translucent. They are accompanied by several well-formed, black andradite crystals. The white host rock is dull and rather soft- it is easily scratched with a fingernail.

Dims: 1.4 x 1.4 x 0.9" (3.6 x 3.5 x 2.2 cm)

Wt: 1.5 oz. (42 g) w/ base

Perovskite Knob, San Benito County, California, U.S.A.

Many tiny Perovskite blades rest on the crystalline melanite base of this specimen. These blades do not exceed 0.1" (3 mm) in diameter and are in excellent condition. Their orthorhombic, pseudo-hexagonal form is likewise excellent. All have the greenish-gray color and dull waxy luster that is common for their species. The melanite base shows rather intense intergrowth but excellent dodecahedral form, and is hot-glued to a flat, square acrylic base.

Dims: 1.6 x 1.6 x 0.7" (4.0 x 4.0 x 1.7 cm)

Wt: 1.3 oz. (37 g)

California, U.S.A.

This hand specimen consists of a concave shale base rock on which rest at least 5 large Perovskite crystals. These crystals are in excellent condition and reach dimensions of 0.2 x 0.2 x 0.1" (5 x 5 x 4 mm). Their orthorhombic, pseudo-cubic form is moderately good, as all appear to be warped in one way or another. Their black color with brown highlights and their adamantine luster are standard for their specie, and they are definitely opaque. Examination of the base rock with a loupe shows that there are hundreds more of these crystals that form a druse on two sections, but these are mostly microscopic in size.