Boulangerite pseudomorph after Ilvaite (RARE)

Item Description

This is the only specimen of this material that we've ever seen from Dalnegorsk. While it may not be a terribly colorful specimen, the value lies in the fact that it features pseudomorphs of acicular grey micro Boulangerite which have replaced prismatic crystals of Ilvaite, which is incredibly rare in nature. I've only seen a select few pieces of JUST Boulangerite from Dalnegorsk, and this one is by far the most interesting and unique. Small crystals of cubic Galena are present, and the matrix is soft golden colored massive metallic Pyrite. There are a few open "casts" of where the Pyrite seems to have replaced a preexisting mineral, possibly Ilvaite crystals, but the shape doesn't look like the cross-section of an Ilvaite, but it's hard to say for certain what it is. It also appears as if the Boulangerite has pseudomorphed a few tetrahedral crystals of what could be the Tennantite-Tetrahedrite Series but I can't say for certain if this is the case. A remarkable and unique piece that would make a stellar addition to any pseudomorph suite or a collection of Dalnegorsk specimens.
From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl (#620 Ru), a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces. He was very active mineralogically until shortly before his passing in 2020 at the age of 82. Considering his collection had a large number of pieces, it still had an unusually high standard of quality from most worldwide localities. He particularly specialized in all classics as well as minerals of the Black Forest, where he spent much time collecting. His Black Forest and German subcollections went to his good friend Wolfgang Wendel. We at The Arkenstone have the privilege of offering the remainder of this great worldwide collection through our various platforms.