Gaspeite

Gaspeite from Otter Shoot Nickel Mine, Kambalda, Western Australia, Australia, measuring 56 × 32 × 37 mm and weighing 79 grams. This is an engaging nickel-mineral specimen from a specifically identified Western Australian occurrence. It offers a different view of nickel mineralogy from the sulphides more commonly associated with the metal's mining story.

Gaspeite is a nickel-bearing carbonate, with magnesium commonly participating in its composition. It belongs to the Calcite structural group, linking it with a wider family of carbonates despite its distinctive metal content. That relationship makes it a useful comparison piece for collectors who enjoy tracing how similar mineral structures accommodate different chemical ingredients.

A vivid apple-green band runs through much darker brown-black material, giving the specimen a strikingly graphic appearance. The elongated outline carries that colour contrast from one end of the piece toward the other. It is a memorable way to encounter a nickel carbonate: the broad green area catches the eye first, while its margins and neighbouring matrix invite a closer look. This specimen comes from the David Vince Collection. Its appeal combines a named nickel-mine occurrence with a carbonate species that adds an unexpected member to a familiar mineral family. The collecting history completes the account, preserving the connection between the individual piece, its Western Australian source and the collection through which it has passed.