OKENITE
Specimen oke-9
$ 300.00Dims: 7.0 x 4.6 x 2.9" (17.8 x 11.7 x 7.4 cm)
Wt: 3 lbs., 6.9 oz. (1.560 oz.)
Poona, Maharashtra State, India
I call this specimen a "two-for-one special", as it consists of two vugs that are separated by a relatively thin layer of basalt. One of these has a slightly flattened ovoid (egg) shape, whereas the other has conformed part of its surface to the form of the first one. Both contain clusters of fine radiating, Okenite needles, however; the ovoid cavity contains at least 12, most of which are partly intergrown, whereas the other cavity contains 5 much smaller, intergrown clusters. Their diameter generally ranges from 0.2" (5 mm) to 0.7" (1.8 cm), and only the 2 most exposed clusters show any damage, in the form of a small number of broken or crushed crystals. These needles are far too thin to study without high magnification, but likely have excellent triclinic form, as one can see their pearly luster in light reflected off of their prism faces. They are all likely colorless, transparent, and clear, but the clusters have a milky-white coloration in general, and are probably merely translucent. Close examination will reveal several crystals of what appears to be laumontite peeking out from under some of the clusters. I think that all of the Okenite clusters are merely druses that cover such crystals. Score of brown gyrolite nodules are scattered in both depressions, and in some cases are intergrown to form reniform crusts that partly coat the cavity surfaces. They are accompanied by several small gyrolite nodules, and with all of the aforementioned, rest on a thin druse of tiny, white quartz crystals that line the inside of both cavities.