Baryte on Calcite ex. Halpern Collection

Item Description

Nodules in the Pierre Shale have produced what are considered some of the finest Barytes in the world. In fact, they are considered modern classics. The Barytes, at their best, are like crystalline maple syrup: a rich, deep amber with a hint of brown, and the habit is usually in beautiful, tapered crystals. Set on a bed of yellow calcite, the combination can be stunning. This very fine, cabinet-sized specimen definitely offers that beauty, in abundance, with the darkest and most intense color barite perched upon teh darkest and most yellow calcite. The longer crystal is 5 cm, although not gemmy. The upright, superbly gemmy Baryte is 2.8 cm, and many of the smaller Barytes are also gemmy. With only 10% or less of recovered nodules producing good specimens, top Elks Creek Barytes are treasured. This is one of the most startling pieces we have seen for color contrast. jack bought it a LOOOOONG time ago (his number 998 from the 1970s), at the time when some were being found and sold very reasonably to collectors. Today, specimens like this in the size and color are $10,000 and up , if from modern mining. Specimen mining was monopolized for awhile by one of the older mineral dealerships, and in any case the landowners sell the property mining lease and mining is itself more expensive in all fairness - leading to higher values on these today, than in the 1970's. If this were on the market today, it would fairly be in the five figures. Because it was reasonably purchased and resold in the deaccession lot, we can auction it and let somebody have a deal...