Hausmannite

Wow! This is one amazing Hausmannite from the famous N'Chwaning mines at Kuruman in the Kalahari Manganese Field. This large cabinet specimen measures almost 18 x 11 cm and forms a flat-bed composed entirely of Hausmannite, whose top display surface is a complete carpet of perfectly formed large crystals. Hausmannite is a manganese oxide and on this specimen forms splendid pseudo-octahedral jet-black crystals, some with pagoda-like stacked structures and all with a wonderful metallic silky lustre. The crystals are up to 2 cm on edge and cover the entire display surface, edge to edge. Close to one end, several semi-transparent colourless to white complex Calcite crystals form an interrupted chain across the specimen, the largest crystal measuring 7 mm across. This is a top quality Hausmannite from the N'Chwaning Mines in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.