Eudialyte

From the Lovozero Massif near the centre of the Kola Peninsula, Northern Region, Russia, several euhedral, pinkish cherry red crystals of Eudialyte protrude from a greyish Quartz and Aegirine matrix. Many Eudialyte crystals are also embedded within the matrix with only their outer broken faces visible. Eudialyte is a relatively rare complex silicate containing sodium, calcium, iron, manganese and zirconium. No crystal is entirely free of damage and some are more damaged than others. However, this remains a good and rich miniature crystallised Eudialyte from Kola, an area from which specimens are increasingly difficult to find as they are far and far between in old collections.