Barite ("Glass Tiff") (ex Willard Wulff Collection)

Item Description

A SUPERB represenation of the famous "Glass Tiff" crystals of Barite from Morgan County, Missouri. "Tiff" is an archaic word used often in Missouri for Barite, the same way that the world "blende" was used instead of Sphalerite by hard rock miners. This piece is most likely from the Lamb Mine or the Buckshot Mine, but I can't say for certain. It consists of VERY good sized, sharp, thick, blocky, lustrous, gemmy/translucent, colorless to slightly silvery colored prismatic crystals of Barite free of matrix. The crytals are in excellent condition with no notable damage that I can see with the naked eye. Complete all around with superb crystal form. There is a even a slight white "strip" running down the length of the prism. This specimen comes from the collection of Willard W. Wulff (1904-1998) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a prominent figure and collector of Colorado minerals. Wulff was one of the founding members of the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society in 1936. You can read Willard's bio on the Mineralogical Record website here ( http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=1528 ). The piece comes with a typed label from Wulff on one of his famous 3x5 index cards that states the piece was acquired from dealer E. M. Gunnell from Denver, Colorado.