Description
San Carlos Mine, San Carlos, Mun. de Manuel Benavides, Chihuahua, Mexico
Yes, I understand that this is not a bright red Moroccan vanadinite, but this piece IS AMAZING. Wrestled out of an old collection, this piece is from the San Carlos Mine in Mexico which closed sometime before 1970. This piece is rare for multiple reasons, the first being its size. Most of the pieces from here were smaller sized. The second is that the crystals are amazing and formed like crazy brick work- straight in parts and angling in others. The whole piece is covered with small doubly terminated vanadinites in this formation. They are punctuated by perpendicular formations which show distinct hoppering of the hexagonal terminations. The third is that the colors are bright and range from light green to bright yellow and orange to reddish brown – likely indicating subtle changes in the vanadinite varietals that formed all within this piece. The last amazing thing is that this piece has survived undamaged.
Dr. Eugene E. Sensel
6.00 x 9.00 x 6.00 cm