Natural History - Historic Tourmaline in Matrix Mineral Specimen

A cut slice of diogenite, an igneous rock rich in the magnesium- and iron-rich silicate orthopyroxene, recorded as: Northwest Africa 4664; displayed in a Swiss membrane box, inked note 'NWA 4664' to one side. 10.2 grams, 53 mm (58.6 grams total, 99 x 75 mm including case)



From Algeria. Ex Mile High Meteorites, U.S.A. From a Leicestershire, UK, collection. Accompanied by an original identification card.

Vesta is the second largest asteroid and the only large one covered with basalt; the fine-grained volcanic rock makes up the dark areas of the Moon and the huge shield volcanoes on Mars. Three groups of achondrites (igneous meteorites) are widely thought to have come from Vesta; these are the HED meteorites: Howardites, Eucrites and Diogenites.

Comprising: iron on matrix slate from England, collection number 89; quartz from a ploughed field, Speen, near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, collection number 54; quartz from Cornwall, England, collection number 295; septarian nodule from Horsenden Hill, Ealing, Middlesex, England, collection number 216; pseudomalachite with chrysocolla, collection number 394; cut slice of crazy laced agate, collection number 248; volcanic rock, collection number 531; a cut and polished slice of agate geode from Brazil, collection number 126; citrine from Brazil, collection number 379, with an old James Walker label and invoice dated 1979. 3.46 kg total, 7.8-24 cm



Acquired on the UK mineral and fossil market, since 1970. From the historic mineral collection of Richard Valentine Cain, London, UK, thence by descent. Six specimens accompanied by an original historic index file card.

The colour ranging from light to dark green. 516 grams total, 4-15 mm



Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's).