Phenakite with Quartz

specimen number:
1052651

location:
Framont, Schirmeck, Molsheim, Bas-Rhin, Grand Est, France

description:
Old French classic with lustrous crystals of phenakite to 1.0 cm in size on matrix with limonite. Quartz is present as well. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the year 1913. The specimen was originally acquired through American dealer Lazard Cahn.

The Framont district, located near Grandfontaine in the Vosges Mountains of Alsace, France, is a classic European locality situated within a complex contact metamorphic zone. Geologically, the deposit formed where Hercynian-age granitic intrusions met Devonian-age limestones and schists, creating iron-rich skarns and mineralized veins. Historically, mining and quarrying at Framont primarily focused on iron ore extraction, with documented operations dating back to the 13th century and reaching a significant industrial scale during the 18th and 19th centuries. The mines were particularly active under the direction of the de Dietrich family, providing essential materials for the regional steel industry until large-scale commercial production ceased in the mid-1800s.

Lazard Cahn (1865-1940) was a prominent American mineral dealer and self-taught crystallographer based in Colorado Springs who became one of the most respected figures in the field during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was widely recognized for his exceptional ability to identify rare species and for his meticulous study of crystal forms, eventually having the borate mineral cahnite named in his honor. Cahn operated a high-end mineral dealership that catered to major museums and elite private collectors, specializing in rare alpine minerals and classic American localities. His professional career was marked by significant contributions to mineralogical literature, including his work on the micromounting of specimens and his detailed descriptions of complex twinning laws.

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