Eudidymite - Mount Malosa, Southern Region, Malawi

Eudidymite

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Described in 1887, the rare sodium beryllium silicate hydrate Eudidymite often forms beautiful triangular, wedge-shaped bladed crystals but rarely are these large. In recent years, the size of the world's best crystals of this unusual species have reached new heights with the discoveries at Mount Malosa in Zomba District, Malawi. This, matrix-less, fan-like spray of very slightly diverging, stacked, 6.2 cm tall by 6.2 cm triangular crystals, reaching 3 cm thick and looking like a wafer one might put in their ice-cream dessert is absolutely huge compared to any other crystals I have seen. Not only that, but these are perfectly formed crystals, with a classic silky lustre, white on one side and cream on the other. A few scattered black small crystal sections of Aegirine are embedded within one side of the Eudidymite spray. A world-class Eudidymite from the superb systematic collection assembled by the brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021).