Sellaite

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Named for the 19th century Italian mining engineer Quintino Sella, this rare magnesium fluoride reaches its zenith at the Magnesite mines in Brumado, Brazil. Specimens are very rare and good crystals were only recovered from just a few pockets. This is a completely gem thumbnail of Sellaite that is composed of maybe six crystals in perfect parallel growth; three larger and three smaller. The cluster is completely colorless, exhibits remarkable clarity and has a glassy luster with all crystals terminated. Only a trace of contacting in two tiny areas on the back where it must have been intergrown with other species in the pocket. A remarkable example for the species and a competitive level thumbnail specimen of something most people never see! Ex Martin Jensen Collection. Strangely, fluorescent. This is a rare gem crystal from old finds of the 1990s, brought out by Luis Menezes.