Babingtonite, Prehnite, Epidote & Quartz (early 2000's)

Item Description

Two pristine sculptural rosettes of intergrown jet-black, striated, triclinic babingtonite crystals with moderate vitreous lustre are very artistically set on one side of the two-sided small cabinet plate. The striking sharp pinacoidal prisms reach 2.9 cm. The front is covered with contrasting bladed botryoids and crystal clusters of frosted, translucent, mint-green prehnite, a typical and classic accessory. The back hosts a nice bonus with many more smaller babingtonite crystals, a 5.5 cm band of olive-green epidote microcrystals on the lower right and a field of quartz points across the top. For 100 years, the world's finest babingtonites came from the Lane Quarry in Massachusetts, until surpassed by these superlative Chinese crystals started in the mid-2000s. These are easily the world's finest examples of the species and this is an outstanding and aesthetic 2-sided combination small cabinet. Seldom on the market today in this quality. This piece is good size, excellent aesthetics , and has two fine display views. Valued at $1000-1500.