Mellite

Mellite is one of the rare organic minerals which occur in nature, containing benzine salts and the elements aluminium, carbon and oxygen.  It is termed an aluminium mellitate hydrate and in this excellent large thumbnail shows well developed translucent, equant to tabular octahedral crystals, which grade from colourless to clove-brown.  The largest crystal measures 1.7 cm on edge and along one edge displays a sawtooth profile composed of multiple adjacent small crystals.  The mellite occurs in lignite strata within coal mines around Tatabánya in the Gerecse mountains of Hungary.  A rare species of unusual chemistry from the Dr Josef Clemente Collection.