Axinite-(Fe) with Epidote (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

A nearly 60 year old specimen (it was given to Kay as a Christmas present in 1961) from an unknown locality in Mexico(?). The label states that it was erroneously noted as coming from "Fresno Co." and is probably from the "Sangre de Cristo Range". Now I can't find a listing for any species of Axinite from any mountian range called "Sangre de Cristo", but there is a mine by that name in Sultepec, Mun. de Sultepec, Mexico, so it could possibly be from this locality. With that said, the piece features thick, bladed, lustrous, translucent crystals of Axinite-(Fe) of a golden-brown / purplish color with minor pistachio green Epidote. The piece is mostly a reference specimen and although there are some well-formed crystal faces, there is also a fair amount of damage. It's an interesting mystery piece, and doesn't really resemble anything I've seen from Mexico because of the Epidote association. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#2121). Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017).