Idocrase from Sierra de Cruces, Sierra Mojada Municipality, Coahuila, Mexico

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Classic Mexican specimen consisting of a loose brightly lustrous double terminated crystal of vesuvianite. Complete all around with no points of attachment, in outstanding condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Dr. Miguel Romero, as well as one from the University of Arizona. The Sierra de Cruces Range is predominantly composed of Cretaceous limestone, alkaline diorite, and minor occurrences of dolomite. The formation of skarn in this area is attributed to contact metamorphism occurring at the interface between the plutonic body and the limestone. The majority of skarn and its associated ore deposits are found in proximity to the contact zone between carbonate rocks and intermediate-acid intrusive bodies, with carbonate rocks serving as the primary host. Notably, calcareous skarn that yields raspberry-red grossularite is located within the carbonate-rich host rock, and its mineral assemblages typically include grossularite, calcite, quartz, and idocrase, along with minor quantities of wollastonite, scapolite, and epidote.