Manganite

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Occasionally, one locality produces a mineral species in such quality that it eclipses all others. For Manganite - manganese oxide hydroxide - that locality is Ilfeld in Harz, northern Thuringia, Germany. Known since the early 19th century, it was not until the late 19th century that the manganese deposits were fully exploited for their remarkable crystals. Despite being a black mineral, their exceptional size and fine glossy lustre make them highly collectible as mineral treasures and their quality exceeds every other world occurrence by several orders. This good-sized miniature specimen features a bed of robust upright terminated prismatic Manganite crystals, the largest to over 2.5 cm in length. A small patch of white Baryte provides a nice contrast from the otherwise totally black Manganite. A fine and very displayable Manganite miniature, and with a significant-sized individual crystal too. Ex Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021) Collection.