Hydroxylherderite with Tourmaline and Microcline (ex Franceso Bedogne Collection)

Item Description

A great old piece for this famous old gem producing locality. I think most people would agree that the most desirable color for Herderite (more properly Hydroxylherderite) is purple, and the purple crystals that came out of the Xanda Mine in the 1970s are the best examples of the species extant. This piece features a sharp, lustrous, well-formed, euhedral monoclinic crystal of purple Hydroxylherderite measuring 4.3 cm with dark greenish to greenish-black colored prismatic Tourmaline crystals on a blocky white crystal of Microcline with minor bladed white Albite and yellow Muscovite. A cool gem crystal specimen of a species that is not often found in well-formed examples with a rare color. From the worldwide collection of famed Italian mineral collector, field collector and author, Francesco Bedogne of Sondrio, Italy (Collection #263). The piece is accompanied by a label from Jean-Pierre Cand. 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.