Amesite with Rutile after Perovskite

specimen number:
2354131

location:
Saranovskii Mine, Sarany, Gornozavodskii, Perm Krai, Russia

description:
Beautiful lustrous purple sharp crystals of amesite measuring to 0.4 cm in size mostly covering one side of this matrix of massive chromite. Several small areas are present where crystals of golden rutile are replacing previous crystals of perovskite. This is in good condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Eric Laskowski.

Located in the Middle Ural Mountains of Russia, the Saranovskii Mine at Sarany, Gornozavodskii, Perm Krai, is a world-renowned chromite deposit hosted within a layered ultramafic intrusion composed primarily of serpentinized dunites and peridotites. Underground mining operations began in the late 19th century to extract high-grade chromium ores, which were crissmingled with hydrothermal veins and late-stage metamorphic fractures. These alteration zones created an exceptional environment for secondary silicate minerals, most notably brilliant apple-green crystals of amesite. A rare magnesium aluminum silicate mineral of the serpentine group, amesite occurs here in world-class hexagonal tabular crystals and rosette-like clusters, often richly accented by chrome-bearing minerals like uvarovite garnet and kammererite clinochlore. Because of the extraordinary size and quality of these specimens, the Saranovskii Mine gained legendary status among mineralogists and global collectors, who prize its unique green amesite matrix pieces as premier collection centerpieces.

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