PHV01 Phosphophyllite
Huayllani, Canutillos subdistrict, Machacamarca Dist., Saavedra Prov., Potosí Dept., Bolivia
8.7x 6.4x 3.0 cm
$3000
An exceptional example of phosphophyllite from the "other" (more recent) Bolivian locality for the species. This was my favorite from the lot, for obvious reasons. The overall form and richness of this piece, comprised of hundreds of twinned phosphophyllite crystals, make for a particularly fine example-- certainly one of the best (if not the best) that I have seen from this location.
The most famous examples were discovered between 1950 and the late 1970's, at the Unificada Mine in the same department, but until this find, the extreme scarcity of those pieces made it nearly impossible for collectors to obtain specimens of this sought after species.
These contemporary pieces obviously lack the depth of color present in the older ones, but are quite exceptional as examples of the species-- the richness and sheer amount of well crystalized phosphophyllite on these specimens is something not seen from any other locality.
Phosphophyllite from Huayllani first appeared on the market around 2010, then somewhat disappeared. These pieces come from a more recent discovery at the same location. Initially, they were labeled "Colavi" or "Machacamarca," but we now have more precise information.
