Brazilianite, Lazulite

This specimen is a fine locality piece, featuring a striking mix of transparent, light-green brazilianite crystals intergrown with deep-blue lazulite. It comes from Rapid Creek in the Yukon’s Dawson Mining District, a remote and world-renowned mineral locality. The site is accessible only for a brief period each summer, as harsh winters leave the region buried under snow and ice for most of the year. Collecting is further challenged by rugged terrain and the relentless swarms of mosquitoes and black flies that dominate the short field season.

Despite these obstacles, Rapid Creek has produced some of the world’s finest phosphate mineral specimens, and this piece, with its well-developed, richly distributed crystals, stands out as an exceptional example. Ex Peter Tarassoff Collection.