Vesuvianite Var. Manganoan

Unknown Owner

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This is a major, HUGE crystal of the purple variety of vesuvianite from the only place on the planet where such crystals occur (rather, used to occur). The crystal cluster is complete all around and has wonderful luster. It was found in the early 1980s and made its way into the Ed David collection. It was sold with the sale of his first collection in 1993. I bought it in the mid-1990s and soon after sold it to a collector, who kept it until just recently (2009). Since that time I sold it first, I have seen only two comparable specimens for sale, both from the collection of the mine geologist. A few comparable pieces from the Tyson collection are now locked away in a Canadian Museum (the ROM), and whatever Gilles Haineult may hold is still...held. So this remained, to me, the one example of the species I had seen that I always wanted to get back, and I never forgot about it or stopped trying to trade it back each time I spoke with the collector.Joe Budd Photos