Valentinite

Good, crystallized specimens of Valentinite are few and far between on the market, and Bolivia has arguably produced some the finest crystals of the species extant. The most classic Bolivian localities for Valentinite are the Itos and San Jose Mines in Oruro but around 2002, some exciting Valetinites started trickling out of the Colavi Mine to the south. This piece is one of the better specimens to come out of that 2002 discovery and features several sharp, striated, lustrous, “straw”-colored orthorhombic crystals on matrix. Despite its simple chemistry, this antimony oxide is fairly rare with regard to collector quality display specimens. The species was named after Basilius Valentinus, a fabled alchemist from the 15th century who was the first to discover properties of antimony, and who may or may not have actually existed, but instead was potentially a pen name for works written by Johann Thölde. Specimen # BOL711B106