Ramsdellite (ex John Arnaud Collection)

Item Description

A superb and classic specimen of Ramsdellite from the type locality, and most likely famously collected by Dick Jones, according to his son Roy. This is not a muddled mass, but rather a superb display piece featuring dozens of sharp, softly lustrous orthorhombic prismatic crystals in a "lattice"-esque or even basket weave growth. Ramsdellite forms by inversion of pyrolusite or oxidative dehydrogenation of groutite, and is really only found in a few places in the world in superb crystallized examples, with the finest pieces coming from Lake Valley. This piece has virtually no damage, save the periphery where it was removed from the pocket. The luster is what I would call "directional" as it seems to change when rotated in the light, and appears brighter at certain angles than others. If you collect New Mexico minerals, or good U.S. specimens, do not miss out on this one. From the collection of John Arnaud.