Mottramite

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Mottramite - lead copper vanadate - is named after the village of Mottram St. Andrew in Cheshire, England where the first samples analysed came from but unbeknown to the researchers the material had actually come from Pim Hill in Shropshire and been combined with a similar substance from the Cheshire location. That said, that early material was crystallized, but generally not in large volumes. Nowadays, the undisputed premier locality for rich, well-crystallized Mottramite is the world famous Tsumeb mine in Namibia. The quality of Mottramite from Tsumeb is insane for what is ordinarily a very rare species. Indeed, this magnificent cabinet-sized display specimen shows you how amazing this species is. Forming a heavy dense aggregate of pure Mottramite, it is not only this richness in volume, but its superb external visual properties which make it so wonderful. Side on, it can be seen that the Mottramite forms florette-like growths rising up to a satiny glossy botryoidal surface. The whole is an intensely dark green colour to almost black but it is its velvet-like lustre that really catches ones attention. In wonderful condition this is a world-class Mottramite and was probably mined at Tsumeb mine in the first half of the 20th century. A textural delight, this piece comes from the generations-old Weyand collection in Tsumeb.