Wendwilsonite on Calcite

Item Description

This attractive Wendwilsonite specimen is an important piece for the crystal size, and has one large lustrous magenta crystal perched on translucent white Calcite crystals amidst others. These large crystals are a rich, translucent magenta-red and very lustrous around the edges and at the terminations; the central portion has a darkened area with a satin luster. There are three smaller, 0.8 cm clusters of composed of a few, bright magenta crystals that are spaced strategically on the piece and not close together to provide good balance and composition with respect to the large crystals. The Wendwilsonites are set on a matrix covered in 3 to 8 mm, transparent to translucent, colorless to whitish, scalenohedral Calcite crystals. The species was named after Wendell E. Wilson, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Mineralogical Record magazine. The Bou Azzer mining district is the co-type locality for the species. This is a shockingly fine specimen for the size and quality of the crystal, and that it is isolated on a crystallized matrix - you almost never see this! Valued $3000-4000.