Villiaumite on Aegirine

$2,500.00

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This is a spectacular display specimen of villiaumite from the Koashva Open Pit located in the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Villiaumite is a rare sodium fluoride found in alkali massifs like the Khibiny Massif which is the largest alkaline complex in the world. There is a cluster of stunning, large, well-formed, translucent, carmine-red villiaumite crystals at the apex of the piece that stand out on the aegirine-albite matrix. The villiaumite crystals are large, super lustrous displaying bright red internal reflections and sharp crystal outlines which is quite different compared to all of the cleavage cubes we see out there from other localities, including this one. The aegirine forms black, lustrous needles in sub-parallel to random orientation within the whitish, to pale gray, subhedral albite that comprises much of the matrix. This is an excellent combination piece from Khibiny Massif, the best locality for the species in large crystals (another location in Namibia simply has tiny, but gemmy, crystals).