Description

This is a superb display specimen of aegirine. The microcline crystal is developed around the aegirine crystal so that it is partially enveloped – incredibly cool. The aegirine (8.3 cm) is sharp and with highly lustrous prism faces, and the top is fully terminated. This aegirine exhibits a feature seen on Mount Malosa aegirines, with small areas of hollowing in the faces and edges – these are well-crystallized and quite neat when examined closely. The microcline is a partial crystal, and the uneven backside has a veneer of oriented micro-albite crystals, so whatever event made this microcline detach from its surroundings happened before the end of the feldspar crystallization at this locality. In excellent condition, no damage, exep one chip in one of the hollowed spots, hard to differentiate from the natural hollowing.

As shown in the one photo, the microcline fluoresces a deep pink-red under shortwave ultraviolet light.

I don’t usually describe specimens with reference to other objects, but it would be hard not to remark about the Sword-in-the-Stone look about this one. A beautiful, distinctive cabinet piece.