6" Polished Section Of Clay Canyon Variscite - Utah

This is a polished section of rare and very collectable variscite from the Green Monster Mine in Clay Canyon, Utah. The material was collected between 1937 and 1940 and almost none has been collected since. Most of it, and likely these specimens were sold out of the Smithsonian gift shop, then the National Museum.

The specimen is 6" wide and up to 1.6" thick, it has been cut flat and polished on one side and includes the secondary mineral Crandallite (yellow banding) and Wardite (blue banding)

More information about the Clay Canyon Variscite can be found on Mindat at the link below:

Clay Canyon & the Little Green Monster Variscite Mine

Variscite is a secondary mineral formed by direct deposition from phosphate-bearing water that has reacted with aluminium-rich rocks in a near-surface environment. It occurs as fine-grained masses in nodules, cavity fillings, and crusts. Variscite often contains white veins of the calcium aluminium phosphate mineral crandallite. It is sometimes confused with turquoise; however, variscite is usually greener in color.