Chabazite var. Phacolite

Item Description

Chabazite variety Phacolite crystals are aesthetically festooned in the shallow vug on the sculptural large basalt matrix. Phacolite is the uncommon Chabazite varietal with lense-shaped crystals due to twinning/multiple twinning of rhombohedral crystals (MINDAT). Twinned clusters reach 2.2 cm on this very showy and excellent piece with lustrous, translucent crystals. This well-known Oregon roadcut locality hosts abundant Zeolite Group species. The site was first found in the early 1960's by Al McGuinness and later rediscovered by Rudy Tschernich in 1969 (MINDAT). Ex Rudy Tschernich Collection. He passed away in 2017. He was Curator of the Rice NW Museum 2003-2011. Consummate Zeolite Group collector (nearly 12000 pieces) and author of the definitive and comprehensive 1992, 563 page book "Zeolites of the World". A rich and excellent large phacolite chabazite specimen from the locale with a fine provenance.