Almandine Garnet (large ''floater'' crystal - old classic)

Item Description

An impressive, small cabinet sized single "floater" dodecahedral crystal of dark reddish-brown Almandine from the famous Falun Mine in Sweden. According to mindat.org, this old copper mine dates back probably "to 11th century and was terminated in 1992." The piece is complete all around, with only one minor spot of roughness on the back. It's hard to say specifically when this piece was mined, but we know it dates back many decades for sure as it was once part of the collection of Willard Wulff (1904-1998) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a prominent figure and collector of Colorado minerals. Wulff was one of the founding members of the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society in 1936. You can read Willard's bio on the Mineralogical Record website. The piece is accompanied by a lovely old typed 3x5 index card label from Wulff's collection (#536) along with the display tag that was in his mineral case. Valued at $750 for the size, quality and historical significance.