Instagram

Calcite with Braunite and OYELITE

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 is one of those specimens where it is difficult to prioritize one species above another. The N'Chwaning mines in the Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa are a treasure trove of wonderfully crystallized mineral specimens, some of which represent the best of species worldwide. This miniature specimen does not claim to be the world's best Oyelite, or Braunite, but is certainly a very fine crystallized example of both of the these species with a nice addition of associated Calcite. The Oyelite displays the wonderful 'starburst'-like sprays of white freestanding acicular crystals so renowned from the N'Chwaning mines. These aggregates reach up to 2 cm across, composed of crystals to 1 to 2 mm in length. The Braunite forms well-formed tabular to blocky black crystals to 3 mm on edge and the Calcite much larger frosted white scalenohedral crystals to 2.5 cm in length. An unusual and highly distinctive association of species.