Melanophlogite (ex Franceso Bedogne Collection)

Item Description

This locality is best known for its Melanophlogite specimens, which are 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 on matrix, 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 "jelly"-like "beads" of Melanophlogite with pure colorless internal clarity sitting on matrix. From the worldwide collection of famed Italian mineral collector, field collector and author, Francesco Bedogne of Sondrio, Italy (Collection #2148). Bedogne wrote dozens of articles and several books about the mineralogy of Italian Alpine localities such as Val Bregaglia, Val Masino, Val Codera, Val Spluga, Valtellina and the famous Val Malenco. He was also the founder of the Valtellinese Mineralogical Institute.