Rutile on Hematite, with Adularia
Cava Lombardi, Lucendro-Pass, Gotthard region, Ticino, Switzerland
 
Intricate copper-red Rutile needles up to 2 mm long on metalliferous Hematite tablets, as an 8 mm wide group between transparent Adularia of Fibbia habit (up to 1.2 cm on edge), on aplitic granite matrix. Pretty and locally typical specimen from Cava Lombardi, the oldest and most famous Iron Rose site in the Alps (cf. LAPIS 2/2020, p. 30-35). Its specimens were often labelled as "Fibbia" or "Gotthard" in the past. Recovered in August 2018 from an Adularia vent in the roof portion of the basal vein, ex Stefan Weiß collection