Chrome Muscovite

This attractive specimen features a fine cluster of intergrown, hexagonal “book”-like plates of chrome muscovite, displaying a pearlescent silver-brown lustre.  Along several crystal edges and faces, under bright light, the muscovite shows vivid emerald-green gemminess, a hallmark of chromium-bearing material.

Chrome muscovite from the Shelby area of North Carolina is classic Appalachian material, long appreciated for its sharp crystal forms and distinctive colouration. Well-formed examples with this combination of size, luster, and green internal flashes are increasingly uncommon and represent old-time material from the region. Formerly part of the Dr. Peter Tarassoff collection, this specimen is an excellent and characterful example for collectors of mica species or classic U.S. localities.