11" Coronadite "Stalactite" Formation - Taouz, Morocco

This is a botryoidal manganese "stalactite" cluster from Taouz, Morocco. It formed atop an aggregation of quartz crystals which can be found on what could be considered the underside of the specimen. Many of the stalactite formations are broken and portions of them are still covered in remnants of a white carbonate mineralization, likely calcite. These imperfections have been reflected in the price of the specimen. The entire specimen weighs just over 18 lbs.

Many of the botryoidal manganese and iron oxides from this area present themselves in similar fashion, making it difficult to distinguish between them. Based on the appearance of this specimen and where it was extracted from, it's likely that the minerals are coronadite and hollandite. Coronadite is a mineral composed primarily of manganese, hence the dark gray coloration. Hollandite is the end member of the coronadite group and is composed of barium-manganese. Hollandite is a fibrous mineral that can give specimens a velvety appearance, a characteristic that can be seen in portions of this specimen.