Diaspore

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The scale of this individual off-matrix prismatic crystal of Diaspore is colossal, reaching 9 cm in length. It comes from the once famous Selçuk District, Izmir Province, Turkey where large crystals, and twinned crystals were well-known, but none have been found for a generation, or more. Justly regarded as having produced the best of species for Diaspore (aluminium oxide hydroxide ), this one is huge for this species and, bizarrely, untwinned crystals like this were actually rarer than twins. A few internal fractures can be seen but there is no indication that the crystal has been repaired and it has the classic gemmy bright lustre one would expect for these Turkish classics. It is from the superb systematic collection assembled by the brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021).