Titanite

This impressive small cabinet specimen is richly adorned by many golden yellow Titanite crystals from the beautiful and spectacular locality at Tujetsch (Tavetsch) in the Vorderrhein Valley of Grischun, Switzerland.  The specimen is accompanied with a lovely, part printed and mainly handwritten old card label and labelled ‘Sphen’ (Sphene), the original name for Titanite.  Another relatively old label is supplied, this time printed and labelled ‘Titanit’ from the collection of F.J. Kessler.  Ten larger size Titanite crystals, each averaging 8 to 10 mm wide are scattered along one side of the display face of a fine granular Quartzite, streaked dark green by inclusions of Clinochlore along its direction of foliation.  The Clinochlore also forms dark speckles over the surfaces surrounding the Titanite, and when viewed with a x10 loupe form bottle green vermiform (worm-like) chains.  The Titanite crystals are transparent to gemmy and migrate between lemon, yellowish lime green and golden yellow.