“3.0 x 2.7 x 1.2 cm. An exceptionally rare specimen of the very rare hydrated vanadium sulfate, minasragite with the nearly equally rare vanadium sulfide patronite from the Ragras Mine (Minasragra) in Peru. The bright blue minasragrite efflorescences from the underlying patronite. The term efflorescences means "to flower out" in French, and is the movement of a substance to the surface of a porous material, where it forms a coating. The essential process comprises the dissolving of an internally-held salt in water, or occasionally in another solvent. This is one of only two pieces of this material that we've seen, and comes with a classic label from Josef Vajdák/Pequa Rare Minerals. You can read Joe's biography here: http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=1371.
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Robert Lavinsky - 21st June 2015