Aragonite PLUS Copper pseudomorph after Aragonite (two piece before and after set) (ex Dave Bergman Collection)

Item Description

Here we have a wonderful thumbnail set consisting of a crystal of Aragonite and a pseudomorph of Copper after Aragonite from the famous locality of Corocoro. These floater specimens are well known from Bolivia for their great pseudohexagonal form and color, and this set is great way to illustrate the "before and after" effect which is rare to find for most pseudomorphs, especially from the same locality. This set is a very fine example of this material, and it was very difficult to find a pair of crystals that matched so well for shape, thickness and size, plus they're very SHARP for the material. There hasn't been any significant amount of these specimens on the market in approximately 25 years, and they are often only found in old collections. I was told a few years ago that a Korean mining company purchased the locality in order to mine the pseudomorphs, so they could be melted down for their copper value, so these pieces may never be seen again. From the collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman. Dave is now retired from mining, but spent many years underground, including as the foreman and primary person in charge of recovering specimens at the famous Sweet Home Mine near Alma, Colorado during the late 1970s. He is also the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. See Dave's photo mining at the Sweet Home on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".