Brazilianite with Muscovite and Albite (1960s)

Item Description

A lovely association specimen from the 1960s era of mining at the Córrego Frio Mine, the type locality for Brazilianite. According to mindat.org, this mine was developed when Brazilianite was first discovered on the surface in 1942, and well-known field collector and dealer Ed Swoboda obtained a lease on the locality and supervised the additional excavation of the pegmatite. This piece is a classic combo for the locality featuring a very gemmy, highly lustrous, vibrant yellow-green colored crystal of Brazilianite measuring 2.1 cm sitting on a layer of golden, sparkling Muscovite with additional tiny Brazilianites, plus white Albite underneath. The main Brazilianite crystal is in fine condition, as the termination is undamaged, and it's only contacted on the base where it was separated from the pocket wall. It's not terribly common to find all three minerals together on the same specimen from this locality, and this particular piece is a great representation of these well-known pieces, the best of which are still the finest Brazilianites in the world, 80+ years after they were first discovered.
From the collection of Richard ("Rich") A. Kosnar (1946-2007), the well-known mineral collector and dealer from Colorado, and the namesake for the rare zirconium phosphate species, Kosnarite. Rich spent a good number of years in Brazil importing gem minerals, and acquired this piece at some point in the 1970s, though it was collected in the 1960s.