Wavellite
specimen number:
2072377
location:
County Pit, Mauldin Mt., Montgomery Co., Arkansas, USA
description: The County Pit, located on Mauldin Mountain near Silver in Montgomery County, Arkansas, is a premier locality for wavellite situated within the Ouachita Mountains. Geologically, the deposit is found in the Mississippian-aged Stanley Shale and the underlying Arkansas Novaculite, where intense folding and fracturing of the sedimentary layers provided channels for phosphate-rich hydrothermal fluids. The site is famous for producing exceptional wavellite specimens that occur as spherical, radiating "sunburst" aggregates on fracture surfaces, typically exhibiting a vibrant apple-green to forest-green color, though yellow and colorless varieties are also present. Historically, mining and quarrying at the County Pit were primarily for road construction materials, as the fractured chert and shale were ideal for surfacing local roads. Mineral specimen recovery became a significant secondary activity during the mid to late 20th century, with peak production of world-class collector pieces occurring between the 1960s and the 1990s.
Sparkling green radiating crystal groupings of wavellite to almost 1.5 cm in diameter across the top of a black meta-chert matrix. In great condition.
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