Calcite (GEM twinned crystals) (ex Richard Kosnar Collection)

Item Description

Calcite is found in thousands of localities around the world, but some places 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. They are instantly recognizable for their unique form, color and superior quality. This small cabinet specimen features gorgeous, satiny, WATER CLEAR, soft yellow color twinned rhombohedra of Calcite measuring up to 3.7 cm across, elegantly sitting atop a thin layer of matrix. The faces glisten with a highly resinous luster, and the crystals are so clear, you can look right through them to the underlying matrix. Great quality all around, with only a tiny bit of roughness on the right edge of the main rhomb. 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 twins from the Elmwood Mine in Tennessee. For a long time the Elmwood pieces were greatly undervalued due to their abundance on the market, and the Sokolovskoe pieces were judged similarly, but now that they are so few and far between, From the collection of the well-known dealer and collector Richard Kosnar (1946-2007), who was the namesake for the rare phosphate species, Kosnarite. Priced in the inventory at $6,000.