Copper pseudomorph after Laumontite (RARE)

Item Description

An exceedingly rare pseudomorph from the famous Quincy Mine in the Upper Peninsula Michigan featuring Native Copper replacing prismatic crystals of Laumontite. This is the only piece of this material that we've ever had to offer, and if you collect pseudomorphs or minerals from Michigan Copper Country, this is something unique, special and rare that you're not likely to find anywhere else. Several pseudomorphs are present on the piece, which measure up to 2.2 cm long, and George notes on his label that the square cross section of the crystals is the indicator that they Laumontite, though because Laumontite is monoclinic, they are slightly askew, so technically, they are "diamond"-shaped cross sections. A bit of additional non-pseudomorphing massive Copper plus some dark green "Chlorite" can be seen on the piece as well. Interestingly, George bought this specimen direct from Thomas Bee who described the piece in an ad on the back cover of the Summer 2001 issue of matrix magazine where he stated, "SUPERB: a terminated prism of Laumontite has been completely replaced by native Copper forming a pseudomorph". Before the internet was the primary means of commerce for dealers, these kind of ads were the best way to reach a wider market, and it obviously worked because George liked the description enough to purchase it sight unseen. A fantastic rarity, and a great piece to round out any suite of minerals from this prolific copper-producing region.
Ex George Loud Collection No. 1114 MI.4; 5471 George (born August 16, 1942) is a well-known mineral collector from Washington, DC and South Carolina respectively, and was a patent lawyer by trade for over 50 years. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the U.S., comprising worldwide specimens, and in later years he sold the worldwide specimens to focus on minerals of the United States, specifically locality suites with an emphasis on amazing representation of species while still maintaining fine quality. The specimens remarkably range from micros to all the way up to large cabinets in size. We recently acquired most of his impressive 9000+ piece 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 specimens for their collections.
See: https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/george-loud for more information