PREHNITE & EPIDOTE

Sandaré, Nioro du Sahel Cercle, Kayes Region, Mali
9.7 x 6 x 7.2 cm
$3,800.00
$3,800.00

Aggregate of large, spherical prehnite grown together with prismatic epidote. When these specimens from Mali first hit the market in the mid 2000's, they became a big deal in the collecting world and the gold standard for this mineral combination, and this is easily one of the nicest I've seen. Many specimens were brought onto the market, and there were still hardly ever any with this outstanding quality and size. The color is some of the best of these finds, and when backlit correctly the glow is honeydew melon green. The epidote gives strong balance with the hues and creates a natural base along the bottom. On the backside you can see complete crystals of epidote embedded in between overlapping prehnite spheres, and many of the epidote here are doubly terminated. In fantastic condition, with barely noticeable points of contact on the top. There are also a couple of areas on the back where some epidote crystals were removed from the surrounding prehnite; I wouldn't even consider these damage and they add to the display in a positive way. Comes with a custom lucite base to prop it up and allow it to stand out in a cabinet.