Halotrichite (RARE locality specimen!) (ex David Burgess Collection)

Item Description

This is the first specimen of Halotrichite that we've ever seen from the famous Ray Mine in Arizona. At first glance, I thought this was some kind of Amphibole species, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it was Halotrichite. The piece features a tightly intergrown group of very thin, "hair"-like prismatic crystals of white Halotrichite wedged between to layers of host rock matrix. The piece doesn't "flake" apart like you might expect from something like asbestos, but has a softer more "chalky" feel to the surface. If you're a fan of sulfates, or minerals of Arizona, do not pass up the chance to get your hands on a specimen from an incredibly hard to find locality. Valued at around $600-$800 retail. From the worldwide collection of David Burgess (1951-2016). David was a prolific species collector from Newington, Connecticut, and the namesake for the extremely rare cobalt arsenate species Burgessite, which he discovered. The piece is accompanied by a label stating it was part of the Bill Shelton Collection at one point.