Calcite with Benstonite, on Fluorite

Item Description

This item is part of a special benefit auction for the Rice Museum of Rocks & Minerals (ricenorthwestmuseum.org). Items are either deaccessions from the museum's collection or were donated by generous supporters listed below.

Auction open April 1, 2021 through April 17, 2021.

Billing for this auction will occur on Monday, April 19, for payment using PayPal or credit card. Shipping will be billed at cost, or please contact brandy@mineralauctions.com if you'd like to plan on picking up items at future shows or during a stop through Dallas.

This is an OLD, unusual, very large specimen from Hardin County that is very uncommon to see on the market because they were sold as calcite at the time and not highly regarded except for the unusual aesthetics - but they actually are Benstonite coatings on these large, very spiky calcite scalenohedra, a highly unusual combination. The calcites have grown on a layer of teal-and yellow-colored fluorite, very typical for this association and in fact for this immediately recognizable pocket from long ago (we saw a similar example in the old collection of Gary Hansen, noted Midwest dealer until 1984, so this dates to before then). It is not pristine, and has some periphery damage as well as a broken crystal to the left of center view, but it is nevertheless an interesting, and large, Illinois rarity.