Melanophlogite coating Celestine (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

A hard to find specimen from Sicily featuring sparkling crystals of the rare species, Melanophlogite which is a rarely seen form of natural clathrasil (or silica clathrate). The material formed after a carbonatic alteration of Serpentinite and was desposited as what appear to be colorless globules, but I'm told that they are actually crystallized in the form of intergrown cubes, but you need an incredibly strong microscope to see it. This piece is a classic example of this very hard to find material featuring "sugary" Melanophlogite sitting on prismatic crystals of nearly colorless Celestine. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#738). Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record). A beautiful and attractive old-timer from this lesser known locale.