Cafarsite (rare cabinet display specimen!) - image 1

Cafarsite (rare cabinet display specimen!) - image 2

Cafarsite (rare cabinet display specimen!) - image 3

Cafarsite (rare cabinet display specimen!)

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These matrix cafarsites 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. Mt. Cervandone is the type locality for cafarsite, a hydrated calcium manganese iron titanium arsenite and is rarely seen in the world. These brown-red, moderately lustrous octahedrons modified by the cube are scattered on the surface of the slightly weathered banded gneissic matrix. The largest crystal measures at 1cm across. A nice large cabinet piece for the species with good coverage of crystals - the largest such plate I have seen for sale, in any case. A Chinellato Matteo label accompanies the piece.