Rutherfordine, Uranophane, Oursinite

Superb specimen of well-crystallized acicular brownish-green Rutherfordine with minor Oursinite (rare!) and Uranophane on Uraninite matrix from the famous Shinkolobwe mine in the DR Congo. Beautiful under magnification, with great crystals of several species which look absolutely gorgeous through the microscope lens! For Rutherfordine at Shinkolobwe this is a very fine specimen in my opinion and quite rare on the specimen marketplace. This is from a small set of specimens kept intact from the 1950’s and thought to have originally perhaps been property of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, who was closely involved with mining at Shinkolobwe in the WWII (and later) period due to the importance of Congolese uranium ore in the Manhattan Project as well as the development of nuclear energy. Ex. New Mexico Mineral Museum. Rare!!