Mineral Specimen #3788 Mesolite
Grabenstein (Steinbruch im Frassgraben), Frassgraben, Kamp, Koralpe, Carinthia, Asutria
7.2 x 4 x 3 cm
Sold
Ex. Steve Pullman, 1800s
The surface of this specimen is covered with Mesolite which is a white to off white color. It is a thin covering composed of short, micro, needle like crystals in a botryoidal habit. The crystals are packed tightly together with just the terminations visible. These terminations have good luster and because of their small size cause the surface to sparkle. About 25% of this surface is bruised (the central bottom area in the first photo). The only place where the fibrous habit can be readily observed is on the bottom of the specimen (see the second photo). The labels are from three time period with the oldest being no later than the 1800s. The location was a bit of a mystery. When Grabenstein was entered into a location search in mindat, several locations were returned, none of which actually had Grabenstein as one word. The location which has been listed for this specimen was the only one which also has Mesolite listed as being found at the location. So, this location is a bit of conjecture, seems probable (all but one of the other locations was from Austria, the other location being from Switzerland).
This mineral is also found in the following galleries: Minerals From Europe | Zeolites | Minerals Priced Between 25 and 49 Dollars