Cafarsite

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Cafarsite crystals like this on matrix are fine examples of rare alpine minerals with bizarre chemistry, considering their gneissic metamorphic rock environment. The occurrence is in the Piedmont region of Italy near the Italian and Swiss border. This piece is from the Wanni glacier area in Switzerland that is along trend and just across the border from Mt. Cervandone in Italy. Cafarsite is a hydrated calcium-manganese-iron-titanium arsenite and is quite rare and this occurrence produces the best crystals in the world! These brown-red, moderately lustrous octahedrons modified by the cube are scattered and nicely isolated on the surface of a slightly weathered banded gneissic matrix. The largest crystal measures 9 mm across. A nice small cabinet piece for the species with good coverage of crystals. ex Brent Lockhart collection.