Azurite (GEMMY crystals!)

Item Description

When it comes to Azurite, there are hundreds of localities around the world where the species has been reported, and while places like Tsumeb, Touissit, Bisbee and Milpillas may be in the top ranks in terms of quality, Broken Hill produced a small number of truly exquisite Azurites. This piece is certainly one of the best we've ever had to offer from the locality as the main crystals are not only incredibly lustrous, razor-sharp and well-formed, but with appropriate backlighting, they show an incredibly VIVID deep indigo color with almost water-clear transparency. The intensity of the color is about as strong as you'll see in any Azurite regardless of locality. The largest crystal measures 2.6 cm, and they are aesthetically perched in the center of the specimen, surrounded by smaller Azurites, along with beautiful green Malachite, and the underside of the piece features a couple small spots of stark white Cerussite. While there is roughness along the edges of the main Azurite crystals, it still doesn't take away from the impressive overall quality. If you collect secondary ore minerals, copper species, Azurites or if you're a fan of Broken Hill specimens, do not let this one get away, as you probably won't see a better one in terms of luster, gemminess and overall quality offered anytime soon. It's difficult to put a fair market value on a piece like this, but I would certainly have it in the $3,000 range retail if I had it for sale on a shelf at a show This piece comes to us from the legendary Ron Romanella (February 28, 1932 - October 24, 2022), a well-known gem and mineral dealer from New York City. He studied mineralogy at Columbia School of Mines, and he was mentored by Dr. Frederick Pough of the American Museum of Natural History, and learned about the business side from well-known mineral dealers Hugh Ford and Maurice Hammoneau. Ron himself was a mentor to other successful East Coast mineral dealers such as Larry Conklin, Herb Obodda and even employed Dave Wilber for a time. He largely transitioned out of selling minerals as his business focused more on gems for the last few decades, and his sons Michael and Jerry have been running the family business in Scottsdale for many years now. With that said, Ron was one of the great powerhouse mineral dealers in the US for many years, offering fine quality specimens and gem crystals from classic and contemporary localities. Among his top achievements, is that Ron is credited with importing the first known crystals of Tanzanite into the US in the 1960s.