Powellite

specimen number:
2063551

location:
Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

description:
Very fine example for the species, this a mostly single pseudo-octahedral crystal of powellite with little attached matrix. The crystal is slightly translucent, the luster is very glassy. The top termination at first appears to be damaged, this is completely natural and the piece is in great condition. The specimen comes with two previous labels, one from the Indian dealership Mineral Decor and the other from the collection of Ray DeMark.

Jalgaon, located in the northern region of Maharashtra, India, sits on the expansive volcanic field of the Deccan Traps, where ancient basaltic lava flows formed extensive networks of gas cavities and vesicular structures. Over millions of years, low-temperature hydrothermal solutions circulating through these volcanic layers deposited a variety of secondary minerals, making local stone and basalt quarries world-renowned among collectors. While commercial extraction in Jalgaon primarily focuses on crushed basalt for construction and aggregate materials, quarrying operations frequently uncover exceptional zeolites and secondary minerals inside open pockets. Among these, powellite occurs as a rare calcium molybdate mineral, forming distinct golden-yellow, amber, or greenish-yellow dipyramidal crystals that often exhibit vivid yellow luminescence under shortwave ultraviolet light. Jalgaon is celebrated by mineral collectors globally for producing some of the finest, most sharply defined, and visually striking specimen-grade powellite crystals ever recovered.

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