Description
This specimen features lustrous brazilianite crystals on white albite. The brazilanite crystals are glassy and gemmy. The longest one measures 3.0 cm. In excellent condition, no damage to the eye and almost pristine – some internal light play in the crystals is hard to discern in the photos, it’s not damage. (With magnification, the termination of the lower crystal has a small chip – you can make it out in the fifth photo, which is taken from the back side of the specimen, it’s half way across that edge of the termination.). Stands perfectly for display as photographed – a great piece.
Exceptional display specimens of brazilianite have been found only in Brazil, and most of those have been produced in from the pegmatites intruded into the mica schists in the region of the Lavra do Corrego Frio, the type locality for brazilianite. The Lavra do Telirio is one of these deposits. It has now been closed down, as environmental regulators deemed it too close to the river to be operated. It is expected that there will be no further mining at the Telirio.