Detailed information
Species
Sellaite
Dimensions
17 x 13 x 19
mm
Weight
4 g
Locality
Brumado Bahia Brazil
Condition
No recorded repairs
Simplistically, Sellaite is the magnesium analogue of Fluorite which might sound like it should be common, but in reality it really isn't. Infact, any crystal of Sellaite is rare, as there are very few localities where they have been found, and crystals almost never exceed a couple of centimetres in size and are rarely well defined. The Magnesite deposit at Pedra Preta pit at Brumado, Bahia, Brazil is perhaps the source of the finest crystals, having been discovered there in the early 1980s. This thumbnail specimen is a single matrixless gemmy crystal from Brumado (the location is not more specific), mounted on a small acrylic base for display and handling. At 1.9 x 1.7 x 1.3 cm this is a very large crystal and it has great character, with glassy prism sides and a frosted translucent termination displaying sloping sides with serrated, or castellated features. As a crystal of Sellaite it is perfection, with no damage visible whatsoever. A choice thumbnail from the remarkable systematic species collection assembled by brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021).