Vauxite, Paravauxite, Metavauxite - image 1

Vauxite, Paravauxite, Metavauxite

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.

From the find of 2006, this is undoubtedly one of the most significant discoveries made at this locality. Not since the days of World War II has there been such a remarkable find of this material. These are some of the largest overall Vauxite specimens in the world, but the greatest aspect of these pieces is two-fold. First, the Vauxite itself is associated with micro fibrous "strands" of the very rare phosphate Metavauxite, plus tabular micro crystals of Paravauxite and small whitish spheres of Wavellite. It is incredibly rare to have four individual phosphate species all on one specimen, and the fact that this mine is the type locality for Vauxite, Paravauxite and Metavauxite makes it all the better. There are also some small gem Quartz crystals on most of the specimen found as well. The second significant attribute of these specimens is the fact that they formed on a solid Quartz-Diorite porphyry matrix, and not crumbly clay (after Allophane) which means that they are much sturdier. It is very difficult to obtain any specimens of this incredibly beautiful phosphate and to find all three "Vauxites" together on one piece is amazing. This piece is from the type locality for Vauxite, Paravauxite and Metavauxite which was discovered along the Contacto and San Jose veins in this mine and was first described by Sam Gordon and Mark Bandy.