Monazite-(Ce) (twin)

Item Description

Some of the largest, finest and most well-formed examples of Monazite-(Ce) are the impressive twins from Buenópolis, Brazil. These crystals have a rich color, with outstanding morphology, typically forming as "floater" butterfly twins. This piece is a great example of said material, a full-sized thumbnail with very sharp, well-formed, lustrous, deep reddish-brown to golden-brown colored crystals on all sides. The piece is not 100% complete, as there are minor areas of either incomplete growth or attachment that can be seen, but it's largely complete all around. My favorite aspect of the piece is that the reddish-brown zones actually pass light when backlit, which is not commonly seen in this material as they are often completely opaque.
From the collection of the beloved mineral dealer and collector Rock H. Currier (1940-2015) who was the long-time owner of Jewel Tunnel Imports (named after the large open vugs in basalt in India which were often filled with crystals). Collection #RH40521-C. Rock travelled the world in search of mineral specimens, and built and impressive collection over his lifetime. He was one of the more colorful and unforgettable figures in the mineral world. You can read more about Rock at the following links: (https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/currierrock/) (https://www.mindat.org/user-2982.html) (https://www.rockcurrier.com/).