Wodginite and Cassiterite

Unknown Owner

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This is a superb, razor-sharp, lustrous Wodginite specimen. Surprisingly, it turns out to be a thick coating of epitaxial Wodginite that overgew a decaying spindle of internal Cassiterite, now almost vanished. Aesthetic, rare, and world-class. This is an important specimen from a small find, of the early 1980's, that really surprised people. The wodginite from this find is superb - unusually lustrous and sharp compared to the mineral from other localities. These are very hard to come by. I am told that the pocket was only the size of a basketball and the find limited to some dozens of specimens. This one, at 4.2 cm, is one of the larger pieces and is quite significant When these first made an appearance at major mineral shows some 30 years ago, they were a big hit with collectors because of their odd formation. Richard Gaines, a well-known collector on the East Coast at the time, had the pocket and the best pieces. This is from his collection, with label. It then made it into the noted collection of niobium/tantalum minerals of Dr. Bruce Jarnot. Unusual, to say the least, and rarely seen in the marketplace!