Babingtonite
- Qiaojia
- Yunnan Province
- China
- 3.2 by 2.1 by 1.5 cm – Thumbnail specimen (fits into a 3 cm cube)
Babingtonite is a calcium iron silicate mineral found in traprock quarries in basalt and skarn deposits. Babingtonite is the official state mineral of Massachusetts, formerly considered the premier source of minerals for both quality and size of crystals. A recent find in China in 2004 or so stunned the collecting community with crystals to 10 cm or more, and redefined standards for the mineral species. This is a loose composite crystal, with a vitreous luster. Many examples from this locality show a dull luster, especially in the larger crystal sizes. This specimen has very good luster for the find, and is free of damage to the top termination (under a hand lens).
Price: $200
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