Babingtonite on Prehnite

Unknown Owner

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A Floater! This piece is a complete-all-around circlet of botryoidal, green prehnite, very translucent so that it glows when backlit. Encrusted upon this floating cloud of prehnite are discrete, tabular, lustrous, black, babingtonite crystals, to 2.5 cm (an inch!) in length. Along for the ride are some minor colorless quartzes, for accent. A very aesthetic specimen with superb color contrast, this is a well balanced small cabinet piece that you would have been hard-pressed to beat AT ANY PRICE from old finds at other locales. luster on the pristine and complete babingtonite crystals is high, and the faces are all sharp and unetched or discolored as with some babingtonite from this locality. These remarkable specimens, where even the mid-range material is better than the best of species ever seen from anywhere else, come out of a very small, previously insignificant quarry that, according to MINDAT, is simply worked by the local farmers. This is a fine small cabinet specimen that if it were from the old Lane Quarry would have set you back easily triple the price.