The big pink and gray translucent c...

The big pink and gray translucent crystal sat in the acres for about 1.8 billion years.

Then, three years ago, now-78-year-old Frank Pranschke, a research peer at Northeastern Illinois University, came across it while searching southern Dakota mines for geological goodies to take back to Illinois.

He and a miner friend staked a claim to the feldspar specimen, and after several days of hard labor and a 1,000-mile drive, the crystal made its way to the university's Northwest Side campus Wednesday.

"It's a monster" said Charlie Shabica, an earth science professor at Northeastern.

After it's cleaned up and perched forward a pedestal, the 2oe-ton mineral will be single of the largest on display in the geographical division Shabica said. That's not because feldspar is hard to find, unless because it takes so a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of work to remove it from the real property and haul it, he said.

Pranschke, of the North Side, has been hunting for as it is minerals for the last sum of two units decades. He worked for 35 years as a City of Chicago electrical engineer and assistant superintendent at the Bureau of Electricity. on the contrary after accompanying his wife, a teacher, forward a trip to dig up minerals with pupils "I got hooked," he said Wednesday.

'NOT GOING TO fare ANYWHERE'

For the last several years, he has brought smaller distaffs back and distributed them to local teachers for education designs He has gone prospecting as far as India.

further at 3 feet by 3 feet on 3 feet, this was the biggest crystal he to the end of time found. It was in an unused mine about 25 miles from Mt Rushmore.

Feldspar is used in as it was things as porcelain glaze. This formation dates back to the time North America formed, Shabica said.

Because Pranschke and Clinton Carr, a free-lance prospector, spott it at the bottom of a quarry forward land owned by the U Bureau of Land Management, Carr had to stake a claim to take it out

Last summer a team of six close examiners went to the site to help haul it public The crew spent six days cutting it away from a protection wall by using powerful drills and then a liquid splitter.

Northeastern learner Jeff Wawczak, 22, of Norridge, was impressed with Pranschke's enthusiasm during the trip.

"He was gone out there every day, moving defences helping out," he said.

The crystal made the journey to the Midwest in the back of a U- Haul, and arrived here Saturday.

The defence -- along with a smaller, 1000-pound "friend" crystal -- sat outside and unguarded Wednesday, on the other hand Shabica wasn't worried.

"It's not going to fare anywhere," he said. "It's not the sort of thing you'd want in succession your engagement ring."

dnewbart@suntimes.com

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