Forsterite (twin?) with Magnetite (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

A very rare association specimen from the Kovdor Massif featuring soft greenish colored crystals of orthorhombic Forsterite (not quite what I would call Peridot) measuring up to 1.7 cm which are associated with opaque, black crystals of Magnetite measuring up to 1.5 cm. The piece is in decent shape, though a lot of the Magnetites are contacted. The main Forsterite crystal has a somewhat unusual form, as it appears to be twinned, which is not common for the species. You can see the two-fold symmetry when looking directly down on the main crystal. Twinning is reported in Forsterite, but I can't recall seeing one in person. A really cool combo piece that would make a great addition to any suite of Russian minerals. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#11810). 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 Velt" November-December 2017).