Calcite

Item Description

Here we have a less commonly seen style of Calcite from the Sokolovskoe Mine in Rudny, Kazakhstan. Most people are probably familiar with the gemmy twinned rhombs, but this piece features excellent, very gemmy, pale golden colored scalenohedral crystals measuring up to 4.6 cm aesthetically sitting on matrix. This habit is hard to find from Rudny, and they were mined in the late 1980s - early 1990s and haven't been found again since. Although Calcite is found in thousands of localities around the world, certain specimens from particular stand out for their impressive specimens. The pieces from the Sokolovskoe Mine are some of the most beautiful and fine quality examples of Calcite found in the last 30 years. Great quality all around, and I can't find any real damage anywhere with the naked eye. These Calcite are now very difficult to find on the market these days, especially showy matrix examples like this. I honestly draw similar comparisons between these Calcites and the famous examples from the Elmwood Mine in Tennessee. Valued at $1,500-$2,000. This piece comes from the personal collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman, the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. Dave is now retired from mining, but he worked for decades in various mines underground in Colorado, as a miner, mechanic, engineer, shift boss and foreman. His biggest claim to fame is that he was the foreman and the primary person in charge of mining and specimen recovery at the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado in the 1970s alongside his son-in-law, Rich Kosnar. This project what was the FIRST ever operation for specimen recovery at this historic locality. A full-page photograph of Dave can be seen mining underground at the Sweet Home in on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".