Datolite

Item Description

Classic pink-white Datolite from upper Michigan, this is 1069 grams (2.35 pounds) of solid, carving-quality material. From the noted Clarence S. Bement (1843-1923) Collection. Given the early accession number, and the future fate of his collection going to the AMNH in the early 1900s, this was certainly obtained from him personally before his death and the purchase of the rest of his collection by financier J.P. Morgan. Other specimens ended up in the AMNH while this went to Philadelphia! Included in this excellent piece's history are the labels of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences and the well-known Copper suite of Michigan collector Bob Nowakowski. This is from what later became a park and no collecting is allowed today, making it probably one of the few pieces out there in private hands. We can tell from the labeling and label that this is old, and it was legally deaccessioned from the Academy by its Board of Directors some years ago in a large deal to clear space there (a tragedy, if you ask me - the dealers who got it never documented this trove of specimens, and so much history is now lost).