Ludlockite, Germanium, Stottite from Namibia, Oshikoto Region, Tsumeb, Tsumeb Mine

Ludlockite on Germanite (w/Stottite)

Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region,

Namibia

8.2 × 6.6 × 3.4 cm

Ex. Barlow, Nieburger

A classic Tsumeb three species association representing the mine's capacity to produce rare germanium-bearing mineral assemblages of exceptional scientific and aesthetic interest.

This cabinet size plate presents a striking and richly colored specimen. It showcases vivid burnt orange to deep amber acicular crystals of ludlockite sprays and tufts from a matrix of dark, blue-black germanite. The ludlockite crystals display a distinctly fibrous to hair-like habit, forming dense, starburst mounds that create a dramatic textural contrast against the massive, botryoidal germanite matrix.

The germanite matrix presents a characteristic deep charcoal to blue-black tone with a lustrous, granular surface, occasionally showing minor metallic reflectance. Scattered throughout the matrix, small isolated patches and microcrystalline grains of stottite contribute to the mineralogical complexity and rarity of this assemblage.

The large view displays the specimen's sculptural form, irregular and nodular in outline, while the close-up dramatically illustrates the extraordinary density and warmth of the ludlockite growth. EX. John Barlow, Jack Nieburger.