“A superb thumbnail grouping of bikitaite crystals with fairfieldite from the Foote Lithium Co. Mine in the King's Mountain District of Cleveland Co., North Carolina, USA! This specimen features a mass of bikitaite crystals to 1.9cm in length, intergrowns with small, yellow fairfieldite crystals. Bikitaite is a rare Li-Al silicate, known from only two localities worldwide, Bikita, Zimbabwe and the Foote Mine. Groupings of large bikitaite crystals are incredibly rare and the association with the fairfieldite makes this a very significant specimen. The Foote Mine began operations in about 1938. It is famous for rare phosphates and silicates, boasting an impressive list of over 150 species! In it's prime, the Foote produced some of the finest fluorapatite and bikitaite in the world, along with many other minerals such as rhodochrosite, lithiophyllite, roscherite, fairfieldite, childrenite, etc. The mine has since ceased operations and is now flooded. Material from this rather obscure U.S locality is very hard to find on the market today, and typically consists of small micromounts. 2.8 x 1.9 x 1.2 cm. Blake Barnett photo and specimen.”