Zeophyllite

specimen number:
1052861

location:
Radejcin, Rehlovice, Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic

description:
Very good cabinet sized example for the species with colorless botryoidal crystallized across the top of matrix. In good condition. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the early 20th century.

The village of Radejcin, located within the municipality of Rehlovice in the Usti nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic, is situated within the volcanic landscape of the Ceske stredohori Mountains. Geologically, the area is defined by Tertiary-period volcanic activity, specifically dominated by sodium-tephrite basaltic rock formations. Historically, the basalt quarries of the region, such as the one at Alter Berg (Stary vrch), became famous among geologists and mineral collectors as a prominent locality for rare secondary minerals. Hydrothermal fluids circulating through cavities in the cooling volcanic rock deposited unique minerals, most notably zeophyllite, making Radejcin a historically significant site for studying these specific silicate phases.

During the early nineteenth century, Carl Armbster operated the Harzer Mineralien-Contor in Goslar, Germany, establishing himself as a notable regional dealer of minerals and geological specimens. Located near the historic Rammelsberg mining district, Armbster sourced and distributed classic European mineral specimens, including native species from the Harz Mountains and other famous mining localities across Saxony and Bohemia. His professionally prepared, hand-written identification labels remain highly recognizable to modern curators, serving as important historical documentation for nineteenth-century mineral collections preserved in museums today.

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