Description

Detailed Description

A brilliantly lustrous contact-twinned crystal, this is a sharp rutile var. struverite-ilmenorutile. In excellent condition, very minor rubbing in a couple of places. Stands perfectly for display as photographed. This crystal is actually complete underneath, not broken – the underside is etched and has a contact where it grew against the matrix. A super struverite-ilmenorutile specimen.

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About These Specimens of Rutile, var. Struverite-Ilmenorutile

These specimens of rutile, var. struverite-ilmenorutile, are from a 2015 pocket at the Santa Rosa Mine. They are exceptionally fine for this variety of rutile. These crystals have only had basic work done (Raman) to confirm that they are rutile, and further analytic work is required to determine the ratios of Ta:Nb. However, as became clear at the end of 2010 in respect of another small find of rutile var. struverite-ilmenorutile in this same region, even within a single crystal it is quite possible to have both struverite and ilmenorutile.