This magnificent flower-like radiating spray of Ludlamite shows why Huanuni mine in Dalence Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia is regarded as having produced the best Ludlamites of all time. Named after Henry Ludlam, a famous Victorian-era British mineral collector who was renowned for the quality of his specimens, he would be proud of this piece. Exuding quality both in terms of crystal size and colour the relatively recent discoveries in Bolivia, in 2019, have set an entirely new level of aesthetic quality for the species. The mine was already known to have produced world-class Ludlamite specimens, but sporadically for twenty-or-so years. This flower-like divergent spray of large, bladed, monoclinic Ludlamite crystals shows how the level has stepped up. The colour is quite distinctive, a much more intense, almost organic green, like crystallized angelica, but it is the way the crystals are aggregated as a large rosette, or star-burst, that make them unique. The crystal spray on this specimen is a remarkable 6 cm across and it sits on a well-balanced piece of Siderite matrix to stand up for display. The crystals are translucent and the way that light reflects internally makes the crystals dappled, or colour-zoned, with a fine, almost 'wet' lustre. It comes with a custom-made Sunnywood display stand.
