Detailed information
Species
Wodginite
Dimensions
27 x 50 x 57
mm
Weight
254 g
Locality
Sapucaia Galiléia, Doce valley Minas Gerais, Brazil
Condition
No recorded repairs
Wodginite is a very rare manganese tin tantalate found in certain unusual pegmatites. Rare in general, well-formed crystals are extremely unusual, and to find displayable larger crystals like this one is exceptionally rare, even within the most productive Brazilian occurrences. This wonderful miniature specimen from Sapucaia in the Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil, highlights the classic monoclinic form of Wodginite perfectly, presenting a very flattened, bladed aggregate, reaching 5.7 cm x 5 cm and 2.7 cm wide. Remarkably, for such a large crystal of this rare species, the majority of the crystal is perfect - the top and upper side edges showing virtually no damage or abrasion, possibly due to the hardness of this species. The lower parts of the crystal are more fragmented, where it was attached to matrix, some of which can still be seen as inclusions within the crystal. However, its overall crystal form and quality is exceptional and you will struggle to find a better one available. Colourwise, the Wodginite is almost black and displays a slightly resinous lustre. It comes from the outstanding systematic species collection assembled in Germany by brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021).