Benitoite with Neptunite
Benitoite Gem Mine
San Benito County, California
6.1 cm x 5.0 cm x 4.0 cm
Here is a very nice specimen from this famous mine.
The only place in the world that these 2 rare minerals can be found together.
Here is a beautiful specimen of crystals on a bluish-green schist matrix with snowy white natrolite.
It has beautiful, gemmy, deep blue benitoite crystals up to 1.4 cm, partially exposed from the natrolite.
They are well formed, show good faces and terminations, and are all quite gemmy.
One smaller crystal had its growth interrupted by a neptunite that it formed around.
There are also high-luster neptunite crystals throughout, both micro and large,
most having at least one good termination.
With all the gem crystals on this piece, I hope this remains a specimen.
The specimen has great color contrast.
Overall in excellent condition, only one chipped benitoite at the very tip; the others are all pristine.
