Analcime (rare locality) (fine quality) (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

There were only a select few of these Analcimes that came of the Fengjiashan Mine (Daye Mine) several years ago, and they are honestly some of the best quality examples of the species that I've seen for many years. While they aren't the largest crystals in the world, they are notably fine quality with shimmeringly lustrous, glassy, smooth faces along with their sharp, well-formed trapezohedral form. Additionally, the crystals are actually GEMMY, which is not seen very often in the species. Combine that with a bit of reddish iron or copper(?) inclusions, and you have a wonderful overall example of Anaclime. The largest Analcime measures 1.6 cm across, which is about as large as I've seen for the locality. The piece is showy, virtually damage free and even has a few associated Quartz crystals for a nice touch. There is an unidentified greenish mineral on the specimen, perhaps a species of pyroxene e.g., Diopside. Beautiful, high quality and showy. If you collect worldwide zeolites or minerals of China, you cannot afford to miss out on this attractive and superior specimen from this famous Chinese locale. Valued at $1,800. Ex Dr. Steven Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/labels.asp?colid=671&page=1 ) or on Wikipedia.