Detailed Description

This is an intricate specimen – there is no matrix, and the cluster of vanadinite is so delicate that you can see right through the gaps in it.  It’s like lace made of vanadinite. (And really, how often have you ever heard lace and vanadinite in the same sentence…) The largest crystal is 0.9 cm.  Good colour, bright and sparkly.  Neat, unique piece!

About these Vanadinites and the ACF Mine Workings

These are top quality miniature specimens of vanadinite crystals from the Mibladen Mining District, the source of the world’s best vanadinite. They are from one of the main localities for the vanadinite specimens, known as the ACF Mine Workings – underground tunnels and workings, created by specimen miners in search of vanadinite. These workings are accessed from the original ACF Mine incline/shaft. If you’d like to see more about the Mibladen Mining District, including photos of some of the vanadinite workings, see Morocco: The Northern Sahara and the Atlas Mountains (Part 2). (Note, the big hole depicted in the first photograph in the other half of the article – see Part 1 –  is also a vanadinite specimen-mining operation.)