Updated 3d ago

Boracite

$400.00

$40.00 shipping
Seller offers an extended return window of up to 30 days
Ships from USA

I am always drawn to Boracite, having once been fortunate enough to be able to experience the 1 km descent underground and 'road' trip around the grid-like series of tunnels which extend out beneath the North Sea in Boulby mine. The Boracite, a magnesium chloro-borate, is a plague to the mining company, rapidly blunting their cutting machines due to its significant hardness (Moh's scale 7 to 7.5) but can appear is several forms and colours. This small cabinet-sized piece from Martin Kershaw's Collection (no. 782) is quite attractive, like a gently branching coralline growth, with glistening pale blue-grey spherules of Boracite coating outwards into cavities. A little Salmon pink/orange material is probably Hilgardite, but the powdery white central core to the stalactites is not determined. A very fine, and good sized display of this rare borate species.