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Vauxite with Paravauxite and Metavauxite (great association piece)
- Siglo XX mine, Llallagua, Bustillo Province, Potosi Department, Bolivia (type locality for THREE species)
- Thumbnail, 2.0 x 1.9 x 1.0 cm
- Start Time: 02/24/2011 6:45:00 pm (CST)
- End Time: 03/03/2011 6:45:00 pm (CST)
- Auction Closed
Item Description
This piece was mined in June of 2006, when a great phosphate discovery was made. This particular piece is a remarkable, very well crystallized, ridiculously rare, specimen consisting of small, bladed, beautiful blue color, radiating aggregates of Vauxite associated with tabular blades of greenish Paravauxite and minor acicular crystals of pale bluish-green Metavauxite with minor decomposed white Allophane on the reverse side of the piece. I have photographed all three spieces under the microscope to show that they are truly terminated crystals and not just a mass. It is very difficult to obtain any specimens of these incredibly beautiful phosphates and to find all three "Vauxite" species together on one piece is fantastic. This piece is from the type locality for Vauxite, Paravauxite and Metavauxite which were originally discovered along the Contacto and San Jose veins in this mine and first described by Sam Gordon and Mark Bandy. It is so unbelievably rare to find beautifully crystallized specimens of Vauxite, Paravauxite and Metavauxite together on the same specimen, and Siglo XX is the ONLY locality where all three species are found.