Prehnite from Minbalman mine, Morocco. All nice large pieces
Pyrite (small groups 50 to 200 grams) of the highest quality with large crystals.
Prehnite from Minbalman mine, Morocco. All beautiful small, large and medium-sized pieces.
Moroccan Prehnite has only just been discovered and is considered the most beautiful green and best crystallized in the world. During our last visit to Morocco the focus was on 3 things; 1. Securing geodes in terms of price, 2. New fossils and 3. Visiting the coveted Prehnite in the Minbalman mines.
The mineral prehnite is a calcium-aluminum silicate with the chemical formula Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH). The mineral belongs to the phyllosilicates. The transparent to translucent colorless, white, gray or yellow to yellow-green prehnite has a glass to pearl luster, a white stripe color and the cleavage is clear along the crystal plane [001]. Prehnite has an average density of 2.87 and its hardness is 6 to 6.5. The crystal system is orthorhombic and the mineral is not radioactive. The mineral prehnite is named after the Dutch colonel Hendrik Von Prehn (1733 - 1785), who discovered the mineral in South Africa. Prehnite was the first mineral to be named after a person. Prehnite is a mineral that is quite common in hydrothermally weathered rocks. Although it is not a zeolite, it is often found near zeolites. It is found, among other things, in granites, syenites and gneisses. It is also an indicative mineral for the low-grade metamorphic facies prehnite-pumpellyite. The type location is Haslach, Harzburg and Oberstein, Germany.