Anatase after Perovskite

specimen number:
2062893

location:
Magnet Cove, Hot Spring Co., Arkansas, USA

description:
A set of five loose crystals of what were once perovskite now replaced by anatase. The old name for this material was hydrotitanite. The specimen comes in an antique box with an old label glued to the bottom from the Foote Mineral Company in Philadelphia.the size provided is the size of the box. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

Magnet Cove, Arkansas, is a famous Cretaceous alkaline igneous ring complex in Hot Spring County known for its remarkable diversity of rare minerals, having served as a premier mineral collecting destination since the nineteenth century. The area's complex geology features nepheline syenite and carbonatite intrusions that yielded abundant titanium-rich specimens, including pseudomorphs historically referred to as hydrotitanite. Mineralogical study later revealed that this material is not a distinct hydrated titanium species, but rather consists of anatase forming a pseudomorph after original perovskite crystals through hydrothermal alteration and weathering processes.

The Foote Mineral Company, originally established by Dr. Albert Edward Foote in Philadelphia during the mid-1870s, played a monumental role in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century mineralogy by supplying high-quality specimens to museums, universities, and private collectors worldwide. Known initially for rare scientific books and carefully cataloged mineral collections, the firm was instrumental in distributing classic European specimens—including those from Italian localities like Sicily—to American academic markets. An old Foote label accompanying a specimen serves as a hallmark of historical provenance, connecting the piece directly to one of the most influential natural history dealerships in early American science.

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