IMCN62 Ilvaite
Huanggang Mine, Hexigten Banner (Keshiketeng Co.), Ulanhad League (Chifeng Prefecture), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China 8.8x 6.3x 5.1 cm
8.8x 6.3x 5.1 cm
This is one of the interesting new things found shortly before the Denver show. They are round clusters of ilvaite crystals, coated with powdery hedenbergite. Some of these have minor arsenopyrite.
On this piece, the ilvaite cluster is situated on a hedenbergite matrix, and there are two rounded arsenopyrite aggregates that have ggrown on top.
The hedenbergite coating precludes them from being called “beautiful,” but there is something undeniably cool about the rounded shape of the clusters and the way that all the crystals radiate out from a central point, which I cannot say I have seen in ilvaite from any other locality.