Neptunite with Joaquinite-(CE)

Help improve this record

No 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.

This exposed vein section of snow-white Natrolite is richly covered with scattered, long, elegant black Neptunite crystals to over 2 cm in length, all with highly lustrous glassy faces and perfect terminations. This fabulous specimen is from the California State Gem mine in San Benito County, California, and is a true classic. Neptunite is a complex silicate mineral and California State Gem mine is the premier world locality for crystals, and associated with it in this specimen are a few 1 mm and sub-mm, translucent toffee-orange Joaquinite-(Ce) crystals perched on the Natrolite. The California State Gem mine is the type locality for Joaquinite-(Ce), another silicate mineral, but in this case an incredibly complex sodium barium cerium iron titanium silicate hydroxide hydrate. This specimen displays beautifully and is a good cabinet size for display (for the Neptunite).