Parisite (?) pseudomorph (ex Francesco Bedogne Collection)

Mount Malosa, Zomba, Southern Region, Malawii
Miniature, 4.0 x 2.7 x 2.1 cm
Start Time: 01/24/2019 6:45:00 pm (CST)
End Time: 01/31/2019 6:45:00 pm (CST)
Auction Closed

Item Description

The labelling on this one makes it a bit of a mystery. The label states that it is in fact a pseudomorph, and then the words "su Cerianite + Rhabdophane" are written. I'm fairly certain that this is not a pseudomorph of Cerianite after Rhabdophane or vice versa, but rather there is a pseudomorph ASSOCIATED with Cerianite and Rhabdophane. The pseudomorph to me appears to be a replacement of either Parisite or possibly Bastnasite (hexagonal or pseudohexagonal) by Muscovite possibly. I've found various listings / postings online that somewhat contradict one another in terms of what these pseudomorphs could be from the standpoint of the original species, and even what the replacing species is . Honestly, it's difficult to know for sure, and we're not necessarily Mt Malosa experts here, so if anybody out there has a bit more insight as to what this could be, please feel free to contact us and let us know. The mention of Cerianite and Rhabdophane - more properly Cerianite-(Ce) and either Rhabdophane-(Ce) or Rhabdophane-(La) - on the label leads me to believe that both species are present in a micro capacity on the piece. It's a strange one, and a really cool curiosity for anybody who collects pseudomorphs or minerals from Mt Malosa. From the worldwide collection of famed Italian mineral collector, field collector and author, Francesco Bedogne of Sondrio, Italy (Collection #2012). Bedogne wrote dozens of articles and several books about the mineralogy of Italian Alpine localities such as Val Bregaglia, Val Masino, Val Codera, Val Spluga, Valtellina and the famous Val Malenco. He was also the founder of the Valtellinese Mineralogical Institute.

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