Montgomeryite (large) ex. Black Hills Inst.

Item Description

A rare, old cabinet specimen of rare phosphates from the famous Tip Top Mine of South Dakota. Light salmon-pink sprays of bladed montgomeryite are richly scattered and stand out on a large, well-formed microcline cleavage that is covered with drusy white whitlockite. These formed as unlikely secondary mineralization, I am told, from the remains of a previous beryl deposit. Montgomeryite from this location remains the standard for the species, and new material of this quality has not been seen in decades. This is a large, display-quality specimen of a very rare, and beautiful, species. Moreover, it could be trimmed into smaller, salable pieces that themselves are quite rich. From the collection of phosphate and South Dakota specialist, Chris Korpi, a former student of the late great Bill Roberts, who studied the unique Tip Top deposit extensively. I have seen only a few cabinet sized specimens of this material and it is quite significant