Columbite-(Fe)

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Columbite-(Fe) is a rare, niobium-bearing mineral, but crystals are rare. Crystals of gigantic proportions are rarer still. The derivation of its name is a complicated story: it is named after Christopher Columbus - who discovered the Americas - because it was found to contain a new element, also named after Columbus, Columbium. However, that element was subsequently renamed Niobium with the mineral retaining its original name. Niobium is an important, and valuable, transition metal and is often grouped with the similar metal, tantalum, under the term Coltan. This specimen is remarkable not only for its wonderful crystal form, but for the scale of it. Weighing in at 0.88 kg, the crystal measures a whopping 7 x 6.2 x 5.7 cm. I really want to call it a "brute", but only in a positive sense due to its sheer size. It is like Columbite-(Fe) on steroids. The base and rear of the crystal are missing where it was attached to the host rock, but the four display faces are excellent. It has a very bright metallic lustre and has only the slightest abrasions visible on some of the crystal edges. Otherwise, it is perfection.