Mineral: Vermiculite
Locality: Shawa Mine, Dorowa mining area, Buhera District, Manicaland, Zimbabwe
Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 9 cm / main crystal: 7.5 cm

Description: Mass: 433 g MIM number:1831 Stack of golden-colored diamond-shaped crystals on a friable clay matrix. Vermiculite results from the leaching out of potassium from original phlogopite, transforming it into clay. It is a very common industrial material which occurs very rarely in crystals, and is used to replace asbestos for fireproofing and insulation. Vermiculite is sometimes nicknamed "cat’s gold" because its color can be confused with that of gold, and it is used as litter for cats. Photographer: AINU / Augustin de Valence

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