Home > Sterling Hill – May 29 > MS0926 Holdenite, Sussexite

Holdenite, Sussexite - Sold


Holdenite is a rare manganese zinc arsenate silicate mineral named after wealthy collector Albert F. Holden (1866-1913), who donated his collection and estate which established a large endowment at the Harvard Mineralogical Museum for specimen acquisitions (Palache & Shannon, 1927). Later study by Moore & Araki (1977) established the currently accepted formula. Sussexite is a manganese borate named for its original occurrence in Sussex County, New Jersey (Brush, 1868). Holdenite here forms minute pink-purple microcrystals in a fibrous mass of sussexite. The crystalline cluster of holdenite measures 4 mm across; elsewhere on the specimen are showings of massive holdenite. Holdenite is one of the great rarities at Sterling Hill.

This specimen was part of the personal collection of Ralph Merrill, proprietor of the prolific mail order business Minerals Unlimited. Merrill's collection card and label also ship with the specimen.