Calcite (unique ''floater'' specimen)

Item Description

The Calcites from Dalnegorsk are quite varied in terms of their colors and habits. They can range from GEM colorless scalenohedrons to numerous other hues in different styles. This piece is one of the most unique and eye-catching Calcites I can remember seeing from the Verkhnii Mine. The form is impossible to accurately describe, but perhaps the best way is to call it a "floating crown" composed of dozens of sharp, well-formed, rather lustrous crystals that range from a soft tan color to a slightly darker beige hue on all sides. If you look closely, there are thin acicular "needle"-like inclusions of an unknown mineral inside of the Calcites, perhaps some kind of amphibole species. I can't find any point of attachment, so I think it's safe to say the piece is a complete "floater" as it's crystallized on all sides. It's hard to say which side is the "front" or display side of the specimen, as it presents well from several angles, even if you flip it 180 degrees to the other side. The piece fluoresces a strong orange-red hue under SW UV light. A really special and certainly unique Calcite for any fan of the species or minerals from Dalnegorsk. It's difficult to ascertain a fair market value for such a special piece, but if I had it on the shelf at a show for sale, it would be in the $2,000 range.
From the collection of Richard ("Rich") Kosnar (1946-2007), the well-known mineral dealer and collector from Colorado. He was the namesake for the rare zirconium phosphate mineral, Kosnarite. The piece was originally imported by Brad and Star van Scriver, and brought directly to Rich Kosnar circa 1993.