Epidote with "Byssolite" (ex Richard Kosnar Collection)

Item Description

There are handful of "Alpine"-type localities in the high mountains of Pakistan that produce specimens of Epidote that are remarkably similar to the classic specimens from the European Alps. In some cases, I could make the argument that the Pakistani specimens are superior in quality, as many of them are incredibly gemmy and colorful, where a lot of the European pieces (mostly from Austria) can be rather dark in color. This particular specimen is a fantastic, highly aesthetic display piece featuring a very sharp, highly lustrous, GEM QUALITY, prismatic crystal of Epidote measuring 2.7 cm long, flaring beautifully out of a matrix of white acicular "Byssolite" and additional Epidote crystals. The main Epidote is completely pristine, and shows the classic pleochroism associated with the species featuring a medium golden hue when viewed from the "a" axis, which transitions to a rich green hue when viewed along the "b" axis. A wonderful example of this now seldom seen material from Pakistan. The piece comes from the personal collection of the well-known mineral dealer Richard A. Kosnar (1946-2007), who was the namesake for the phosphate Kosnarite. Rich's hand-painted number can be seen on the base of specimen, but the added touch to this listing is that the piece is accompanied by the box in which it was stored in Kosnar's collection. For those who don't know, Rich would store many of his specimens in individual boxes from around the world, so the pieces were personalized to their respective box, giving them a unique character that you don't see in almost any other mineral collection. This piece is valued around $1,000-$1,200 for its superior quality, aesthetics and the fact that you can't get them on the market as easily as you could 10+ years ago.