Augelite from Mundo Nuevo Mine, Mundo Nuevo, La Libertad, Peru

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The mines of Peru have produced some of the most attractive crystals of the rare aluminium phosphate hydroxide, Augelite, but rarely in large crystals, or large specimens. The crystals from Ortega mine have a distinctive pale lime green colour. This large thumbnail, to small miniature specimen, presents a cluster of well-formed, sharply terminated, glassy, monoclinic Augelite crystals, to about 1.5 cm in length, with minor overgrowth by tiny 'needle' Quartz crystals. The colour is distinctive and quite beautiful, but does appear to vary depending on the source of light, or perhaps through pleochroism (direction of light). The Augelite crystals show very slight wear to some of the edges, but this requires magnification to be seen. Overall, a very fine, and colourful, specimen of large crystals of a rarely seen species.