A superb rutile paramorph after brookite from Magnet Cove, in Hot Spring Co., Arkansas. These paramorphs are well-known from Magnet Cove, where mining has taken place since the late 1800s, although the majority of collecting occured between the 1930s and the 1990s. This piece is likely from the early 20th century based on the style and size, but I have no provenance to prove that. It is a very large example of this material, with two huge brookite crystals that have "altered" to rutile - I put altered in quotation marks because a paramorph is essentially a pseudomorph where both species share the same chemical composition but have different crystal structure. Both brookite and rutile are simply titanium dioxide, but brookite is orthorhombic while rutile is tetragonal. This specimen stands out for its size and quality and was previously in the collection of well-known LA-based collector and guitar guru Carl Acosta. It is in good condition with no significant damage to report. Custom mounting is available at checkout.
Dimensions: 1.66 x 1.42 x 1 in (4.2 x 3.6 x 2.5 cm)
