Childrenite
specimen number:
1052846
location:
Tavistock, Devon, England, UK
description: The town of Tavistock, situated on the western margin of the Dartmoor granite in Devon, England, is a historic mining area containing hydrothermally altered mineral veins. Within these veins, particularly at the Virtuous Lady Mine and nearby locations, low-temperature hydrothermal fluids containing iron, manganese, and phosphorus interacted to deposit secondary phosphate minerals. In 1823, English crystallographer Henry James Brooke described a new hydrated iron aluminum phosphate mineral from specimens found near Tavistock, naming it childrenite in honor of the English chemist John George Children. The mineral typically occurs as small, glassy, yellow to brown orthorhombic crystals on a matrix of quartz or siderite, representing a classic locality for secondary phosphate mineralogy in the British Isles. Arthur Kusche was a German mineral dealer based in Munich, active during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Operating alongside other prominent contemporary Munich dealers like Wilhelm Maucher, Kusche acquired and sold regional European minerals as well as specimens from major global discoveries of the era, such as early strikes at the Tsumeb mine in Namibia and classic Italian localities. Mineral specimens bearing his distinctive, elegant printed labels are preserved in notable museum and private collections worldwide.
Lustrous blocky crystals of childrenite measuring to 0.2 cm in size in an open pocket within matrix. In good condition. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the very early 20th century.
Questions about this specimen?
Send an email
or call us: 314-341-1811.