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Lot 1257
Marra Mamba Tiger's Eye Slab
27 May 2010, 13:00 EDT
New YorkSold for US$6,100 inc. premium
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Find your local specialistMarra Mamba Tiger's Eye Slab
Mt Brockman Station, Western Australia
The mining district for this mineral is located in central Western Australia, over 1000 km north east of Perth. Over millions of years waters heated by volcanic activity dissolved much of the silica from the banded iron formation in this region leaving huge iron ore deposits of almost pure hematite. In other places, red and yellow iron oxides and/or silica were deposited as veins or replaced the wall areas of fine cracks in the host rock. The resulting stone, a highly sought-after variety of tiger's eye, is found only in this region and is known as Marra Mamba. The source is now mined out and only rare specimens make their way onto the market and certainly not of this size. This example displays the typical bands of golden tiger's eye, metallic black hematite, brilliant red jasper, as well as stromatolite. With gentle curves the layers are a testament to the immense pressures to which the rock was inexorably subjected over the millenia. This beautiful and highly polished slab is an excellent example of this rare and lovely mineral and measures, backed with aluminium, measures 30 x 13 x 1 in.
The mining district for this mineral is located in central Western Australia, over 1000 km north east of Perth. Over millions of years waters heated by volcanic activity dissolved much of the silica from the banded iron formation in this region leaving huge iron ore deposits of almost pure hematite. In other places, red and yellow iron oxides and/or silica were deposited as veins or replaced the wall areas of fine cracks in the host rock. The resulting stone, a highly sought-after variety of tiger's eye, is found only in this region and is known as Marra Mamba. The source is now mined out and only rare specimens make their way onto the market and certainly not of this size. This example displays the typical bands of golden tiger's eye, metallic black hematite, brilliant red jasper, as well as stromatolite. With gentle curves the layers are a testament to the immense pressures to which the rock was inexorably subjected over the millenia. This beautiful and highly polished slab is an excellent example of this rare and lovely mineral and measures, backed with aluminium, measures 30 x 13 x 1 in.