Ferberite (classic locality) (ex Chet Lemanski Collection)

Item Description

A wonderful old-time example of the famous Ferberite specimens from Panasqueira. This area has produced some of the best crystallized examples of Ferberite from any locality in the world. This piece is a good, multi-crystal group featuring sharp, well-formed, jet black, thick blocky prismatic crystals with no matrix. The piece has some roughness in a few areas, but it's actually better in person than the photo / video might indicate. If you look closely, virtually all of the crystals are terminated, and the main crystal at the top has a partially re-crystallized ("re-healed") termination. A great display quality representation of these well-known and now fairly hard to find pieces from this classic locality. Valued at $1,500-$2,000 retail. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #13338CL. Chet's collection catalogue states that the piece is a form Lawrence H. Conklin specimen from the John J. Durkos collection (#677). Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.