Cerussite (2 crystal set)

Item Description

The eminent Tsumeb Mine is one of the world's greatest mineral localities. From common to incredibly rare minerals, Tsumeb produced among the "best of species" in a large number of a categories. When it comes to Cerussite specimens, some of the finest examples of the species are those from Tsumeb. These amazing and highly quality Cerussites are beloved for their fantastic size, quality and crystallization. There are few places in the world that can compete with Tsumeb Cerussites both in quantity and quality. Here we have a set of two Cerussite crystals with excellent sharp, lustrous crystal faces along with wonderful internal gemminess. One of the crystals is nearly colorless, showing slight "rainbow" flashes, while the other has a slight "smoky" hue and features some gorgeous internal "phantoms". Both crystals are in very good condition, though there are very minor imperfections. A wonderful set of old-time specimen from what is quite possibly the world's most famous locality. The piece date back to the 1960s-1970s era of mining. Retail value on this set is $2,500-$3,000. This set comes to us from the legendary Ron Romanella (February 28, 1932 - October 24, 2022), a well-known gem and mineral dealer from New York City. He studied mineralogy at Columbia School of Mines, and he was mentored by Dr. Frederick Pough of the American Museum of Natural History, and learned about the business side from well-known mineral dealers Hugh Ford and Maurice Hammoneau. Ron himself was a mentor to other successful East Coast mineral dealers such as Larry Conklin, Herb Obodda and even employed Dave Wilber for a time. He largely transitioned out of selling minerals as his business focused more on gems for the last few decades, and his sons Michael and Jerry have been running the family business in Scottsdale for many years now. With that said, Ron was one of the great powerhouse mineral dealers in the US for many years, offering fine quality specimens and gem crystals from classic and contemporary localities. Among his top achievements, is that Ron is credited with importing the first known crystals of Tanzanite into the US in the 1960s.