Lueshite

specimen number:
2354003

location:
Lueshe, North Kivu, DR Congo

description:
From the type locality for the species, a sharp semi lustrous cubic crystal. In very good condition.

Located in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lueshe is famous for its carbonatite complex where an alkaline igneous intrusion of syenite and calcite-carbonatite created significant deposits of niobium minerals. Mining operations began in the middle of the twentieth century, primarily focused on extracting pyrochlore from the thick weathered laterite layer. Lueshe is also celebrated among mineral collectors as the type locality for the rare niobium oxide mineral lueshite, named directly after the mine site. Commercial exploitation and field specimen collecting faced major disruptions from regional conflicts starting in the 1990s, though the locality remains historically important in mineralogy.

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