Mendipite in Pyrolusite (historic material)

Item Description

A cool and certainly hard to find specimen of the rare lead halide species, Mendipite. This piece is from the Mendip Hills from where the species gets its name, but it's not from the type locality, but rather the neighboring Higher Pitts Mine. Resinous / silky, off-white colored, prismatic / striated crystals of Mendipite formed in parallel growth set black in Pyrolusite matrix with minor Calcite. You don't see a lot of these on the market, and this one is a decent reference specimen for the species. From an old East Coast collection with an historic label from the legendary mineral dealer, Hugh A. Ford. Since the label has Ford's New York address it dates to 1946-1957.