Copper pseudomorph after Azurite (''rose'') (classic material)

Item Description

Pseudomorphs are one of the more interesting phenomena not just in the mineral world, but in nature. It's quite unusual when you think about one inorganic substance, literally replacing and taking the form of another. Pseudomorphs have been found in virtually all mineral-bearing environments around the world, but the pieces from the Copper Rose Mine are distinctive and unique. I'm genuinely a big fan of these gorgeous specimens, not only for their fantastic form, but also the fact that this might be the only locality where a native element replaces a secondary carbonate species that is derived originally from the same element (Copper gives way to forming Azurite and then is pseudomorphed back to Copper). The first thing that I notice when I look at this specimen is the superb sharpness of the crystals. All of the bladed crystals on this piece (that once were Azurite) are very discernible, and not tightly "jumbled" together. Additionally, the piece has a fine antique looking patina, giving it a lot of character. The piece is a complete "floater" with no damage or point of attachment. Many of these gorgeous pseudomorphs date back well over a century when they were collected by George English and A.E. Foote in the 1890's and were sold to Eastern collectors and museums along with European collectors. These pieces are to my knowledge unique in their aspect, form, and size compared to other any other Azurite pseudomorphs. This is certainly a good sized piece for the locality, and fine quality in terms of form and sharpness. One rarely sees the marvelous specimens on the market these days, and if you're a fan of secondary ore minerals, native metals or attractive pseudomorphs, do NOT pass up the chance to get a really good example of this famous material for your collection.
I would like to point out that Jack must have had a certain affinity for this piece as well, as he made THREE different labels for it for his collection. I haven't encountered another piece so far in Jack's collection that had this distinction.
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 893. Jack was born May 18, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, but has been a long-time resident of San Francisco. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the world encompassing over 3,200 specimens with a specific emphasis on color, quality, and style/aesthetics, which is evident in every piece. He admired specimens of all sizes from thumbnails to large cabinets and the vast majority of them rank from fine to world-class in their quality.
Above all else, Jack is considered to be the greatest gentleman in the modern era of mineral collecting. He is beloved by all those who have met him, and he truly is one of the most iconic figures in the mineral world. We recently acquired Jack's collection, and the VAST majority of these pieces will be offered here in the auctions, as we feel that everyone deserves and equal opportunity at acquiring these important, well-documented and fine quality pieces for their collections. We are honored to have the opportunity to offer Jack's treasures to everyone on a regular basis in the auctions.
We encourage you to read our blog post at https://www.irocks.com/the-jack-halpern-collection or his profile on the Mineralogical Record website https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/halpernjack/ for more information