Primary Mineral(s): Iridescent Hematite
Secondary Mineral(s): 

Size : 4 Inch x 1 Inch
Weight : 73 Gms

Locality: Andrade Mine, João Monlevade, Minas Gerais, Brazil

This extraordinary hematite specimen displays a rare optical phenomenon: iridescent coloration spanning emerald green, sapphire blue, magenta, and chartreuse hues arranged in linear patterns across granular surfaces.

Mineralogist Dr. George Rossman's analysis revealed the source of this chromatic display—a nanoscale mineral phase epitaxially grown on hematite grain surfaces, creating interference effects that produce the vivid spectrum.

The unnamed phase remains unapproved by the International Mineralogical Association due to analytical challenges inherent to such microscopic dimensions. This specimen originates from a singular, unrepeatable occurrence: a 1992 container shipment curated by renowned collector Rock Currier from a Brazilian locality near Belo Horizonte.

Mining operations deliberately ceased extraction after this limited yield, prioritizing structural integrity over further collection. Even during its period of relative availability, superior examples were scarce; this piece represents one of the finest specimens Currier retained for his personal collection. A geological anomaly and historical artifact—a window into an ephemeral moment in mineralogical discovery.

# B 6834