Manganite

Manganite from its type locality at Ilfeld in Thuringia, Germany, is a world-classic and makes an essential addition to any collection containing top-class minerals from famous locations.  This small cabinet specimen of superbly crystallised Manganite is from the Dr Josef Clemente Collection who lived from 1899 to 1978.  Covering a hidden sooty black Manganite matrix, magnificently developed Manganite crystals to 1.8 cm tall and 0.8 cm diameter form an intergrown jumble, all sitting at different angles and orientations to one another.  The crystals have deep vertical striations around their prism faces and pinacoidal flat terminations formed from parallel rows of smaller terminated crystals.  The specimen is a uniform and unaltering jet-black with a brilliant metallic lustre.  This elegant and charming specimen is accompanied by a previous collector’s old label, K. Kontrus of Wien.