Barite (ex. Stoudt Coll.)

Item Description

This specimen was purchased by Dave Stoudt back when these were coming out in good quantity, directly from the guy who was mining them. His label says "Marked $900, paid $720." Of course there are a lot less of these around now. This amazing barite find was at a gold mine, and marked a rare occasion where a major mining operation cooperated with mineral collectors to let them get specimens out before various shafts were destroyed. This is a BIG, RICH specimen, covered with dozens of beefy, lustrous crystals to 2.5 cm. Valued $1200-1500 today - no more is coming out of this mine for collectors, at least not in quantity and with permission, I think. Amazingly, and I expected to go back and see SOME damage I would be embarrassed I missed, it has only ONE dinged xl, a small teeny one on the bottom tip (bottom-most in top photo of the piece as it is standing vertically on a propped base the closeup xl shown is a natural growth steppe, not broken. the rest of the periphery is, amazingly, pristine and fully crystallized all around!