Amazonite (rich color with white ''stripes'' and ''caps'') (Mined: 1984)

Item Description

Here we have a beautiful and fine quality specimen of these iconic Amazonites from Colorado. For many decades, the granitic pegmatites around the Lake George area of Colorado have produced what collectors and dealers know to be the finest Amazonite specimens ever found from the standpoint of color, quality, wonderful display specimens and excellent associations. This particular specimen features a group of sharp, well-formed, strong blue-green color Amazonite crystals which feature distinctive and highly sought after "white cap" terminations, and lighter "stripes" along select prism faces. The largest crystal measures 2.2 cm long. A small amount of Smoky Quartz can be seen on one side of the piece as well. The color is about a rich as it gets for Amazonite from Colorado. Keep in mind that the best of these specimens (especially with top color) are highly valued, and this one would make a great addition to any collection. No damage that I can find, but please note that the piece is repaired, like many from this area. An excellent, an attractive Colorado classic.
This piece was formerly in the collection of Richard A. Kosnar (1946-2007), the well-known dealer and collector from Colorado, who was the namesake for the rare phosphate Kosnarite. Rich moved to Colorado initially in 1970 specifically to mine for Amazonite specimens through his newly formed partnership with Clarence Coil. This piece was personally collected / mined by Rich in July of 1984, and was a gift from Clarence after they split up the pocket between themselves.
ATTENTION: We are happy to announce our new book featuring the Jack Halpern collection entitled "Addicted to Beauty", which will be available in March from the Mineralogical Record. The following is an excerpt from Rob Lavinsky from the foreword of the book. "I am honored to have been entrusted with the deaccessioning of Jack Halpern’s famed collection. This book is not only designed to commemorate Jack's minerals, but also the man himself and how he inspired so many of us who are in the hobby today. Regarding the sale of his collection, Jack’s one comment and wish to me and to his family and friends was that we would carry forward his 'Legacy of Beauty' out into the broad world."
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 3978. Jack was born May 18, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, but has been a long-time resident of San Francisco. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the world encompassing over 3,200 specimens with a specific emphasis on color, quality, and style/aesthetics, which is evident in every piece. He admired specimens of all sizes from thumbnails to large cabinets and the vast majority of them rank from fine to world-class in their quality.
Above all else, Jack is considered to be the greatest gentleman in the modern era of mineral collecting. He is beloved by all those who have met him, and he truly is one of the most iconic figures in the mineral world. We recently acquired Jack's collection, and the VAST majority of these pieces will be offered here in the auctions, as we feel that everyone deserves and equal opportunity at acquiring these important, well-documented and fine quality pieces for their collections. We are honored to have the opportunity to offer Jack's treasures to everyone on a regular basis in the auctions.
We encourage you to read our blog post at https://www.irocks.com/the-jack-halpern-collection or his profile on the Mineralogical Record website https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/halpernjack/ for more information