Epidote (fine crystal group) (ex Rich Kosnar Collection)

Item Description

For many years, the finest and most desirable Epidote specimens were those from the famous Knappenwand in the Austrian Alps. Then in the 1990s, a good number of superb quality Epidote specimens started coming out of the "Alpine-type" deposits in the high Pakistani mountains around Shigar. These beautiful and excellent quality specimens rivaled the finest crystals from the world-famous Alpine localities and other places like the Green Monster Mountain in Alaska. What really set the Pakistani specimens apart was not just the size, luster and sharpness, but they were rather gemmy(!) even in thicker crystals, which is not commonly seen from other worldwide examples. In recent years, we've noticed that it has become increasingly difficult to find top Epidotes from this locality, as my friends in Pakistan tell me that little is being found. This gorgeous small cabinet display specimen hosts superb, sharp, lustrous, gemmy prismatic crystals with colors ranging from rich green to golden hues. Because Epidote is pleochroic, it will change colors when the crystals are viewed on different axes, so you can see the various hues light up when the crystals are rotated with backlighting. The piece is actually a "Faden" group, which is a fairly well-known phenomenon for the species. "Faden" is the German word for "string" and if you look closely, you can see how the piece grew along the fibrous "strings" that allowed the smaller crystals to form together in near parallel growth. You just don't see pieces like this on the market now, and if you consider that most Epidote crystals around the world are "black" and opaque, this piece is in the higher echelon in terms of quality for the species. From the "Alpine-type" collection of Richard A. Kosnar, the well-known mineral dealer and collector from Colorado, who was the namesake for the phosphate species Kosnarite. Valued at $1,500.