Armstrongite (ridiculously rare) (named for Neil Armstrong)

Item Description

Armstrongite is a ridiculously rare hydrated calcium zirconium silicate, only found in five places on the planet Earth. In a semi-related matter, this species was named after the first person to walk on the moon, astronaut Neil Armstrong, who famously took his first steps on the moon's surface during the Apollo 11 Lunar Mission in 1969. Perhaps most interestingly is the fact that this species was named by five former Soviet mineralogists, the old rival of the United States in the space race of the 1950s and 1960s. This piece hosts a very good amount of crystalline reddish-tan to pinkish-orange colored Armstrongite with black aegirine on matrix. This is the ONLY piece of this species that we've ever had to offer in the auctions, and comes with a classic label from Czech mineral specialist, Josef Vajdak / Pequa Rare Minerals, which immediately increases the value. You can read Joe's biography here: http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=1371