Schizolite

Item Description

A sharp and gorgeous crystal of a rare and unique pink mineral known from only one pocket (at this quality) from the giant Kalahari Manganese Field measuring 1.8 cm in height headlines this specimen, which is beautiful on its own merits, and a competition level thumbnail specimen. This material was known only from a few small pockets, and was literally so good for what it is, that it was first misidentified (twice), then given a new species name, before finally assigned to be the world's best examples of schizolite (an otherwise unaesthetic rarity related to pectolite) after the adventure in nomenclature ended over the time from 2010-2018 or so: This crystal is currently considered to be perhaps the best stereotypical crystal of Schizolite from the best (by far) of only two major pockets discovered in the early 2000s and brought to market through Marshall Sussman in Tucson. The species from this location was originally mistakenly named as Pectolite, then Bustamite, and then published as the new mineral Marshallsussmanite (2013) after Marshall, noting his contributions to bringing out so many Kalahari and African mineral specimens, and in promoting mineral collecting. You cannot make these stories up, but this is what happens when truly shocking new mineral species are found. The naming was well-deserved but sadly, the publication was a result of a (predictably, IMO) poor analysis by an former graduate student of a lab who was given samples for study and a freebie for the work (ironically, somebody with a proven history of incompetent scientific ability, and the same notorious sloppy scientist who missed Lavinskyite when it was found by mid-identifying it - before I resubmitted samples through others in the same lab!). At one time, Marshall Sussman owned the entire pocket (both pockets, actually) and according to Marshall, this is still the largest single sharp crystal Marshall has seen of his former namesake. It is a highly important African, and Kalahari, specimen. Before they were renamed after him, Marshall sold the lot based on the initial lab identification as bustamite to Dan Weinrich, and this ended up in dealer/collector Tomek Praszkier's collection, from whom Alex obtained in 2014. Scovil photo: published in Mineralogical Record, Refined Elegance: The Small Treasures of Mineralogy, November 2022. Valued $2500.