Hausmannite on Andradite

$5,000.00

$40.00 shipping
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Tucson, Arizona, USA

7,543 for sale·132 sold

Despite Hausmannite’s deceptively simple chemical formula, it is a complex manganese oxide containing both divalent (Mn2+) and trivalent (Mn3+) manganese. This spectacular example is from the N'Chwaning Mines at Kuruman in Northern Cape Province, South Africa, one of the mines within the Kalahari Manganese Field. Semi-lustrous, black Hausmannite crystals cover at least fifty percent of the display face of a rich, salmon pink Andradite garnet matrix, in the form of sub-millimetre crystals giving the matrix a fine-granular texture. The Hausmannite forms as stepped octahedral crystals built from small, individual tetrahedral prisms, each with a sub-metallic lustre and rough, pitted surface texture. With the magnificent Hausmannite crystals contrasting nicely against the orangey pink Andradite, this makes a superb cabinet specimen of museum quality.