Calcite with inclusions of Manganese dendrites
Unknown Owner
Help improve this recordNo owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.
A highly unusual Tsumeb oddity, and the only large example I have seen in good quality of this style, this piece features sharp classic Tsumeb calcite rhombohedra with a bit of a surprise inside. Rhombs of lustrous and translucent, colorless calcite, to 3 cm on an edge, are invested with needle-like inclusions of manganese arranged as elongated dendrites growing through the calcites. Why? How? We do not know. I can only say I have seen a few of these with manganese or duftite inclusions of similar style, and always wondered myself how they form. This occurrence appears to be very rare. Ex. Marshall Sussman Tsumeb collection, from his fabulous and most important first collection built in Chicago and sold to me in 2004. as I was a calcite collector at the time (since the age of 12 when I started!), I kept this for myself in the deal and have owned it since then until now.
Product details
SizeSmall Cabinet
Dimensions5.3 x 4.2 x 3.5 cm
Added on10/23/2024
LocalityNamibia, Oshikoto Region, Tsumeb
Known provenance
| Date | Collector | Acquisition price |
|---|---|---|
| 08/2024 | Unknown Owner | Not disclosed |
| — | The Arkenstone | Not disclosed |
Learn more
Mineral guide
Learn about Manganese
Native manganese a rare native-element specimen prized by advanced collectors for its silvery luster, tiny grains, and provenance; misidentifications lower val…Regional guide
Comments