Galena (''Spinel''-twins) with Sphalerite

Item Description

This is what I would call a competition quality miniature from Dalnegorsk featuring beautiful metallic silvery-grey colored compressed "Spinel"-twinned crystals of Galena measuring up to 2.7 cm across, which are associated with dark grey-black metallic Sphalerite for a nice accent. I love how the Galena crystals are sitting at different rows/tiers on the specimen, creating a few layers of depth and viewing, and the arrangement creates a very three-dimensional presentation. The piece actually does sits quite nicely on its own without the aid of a base or clay. No major damage I can find, and it's so eye-catching! For a "black rock", this is a truly fine quality and alluring example from this famous mineral specimen-producing locality in far eastern Russia. Valued $2,500.
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 3438. Jack was born May 18, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, but has been a long-time resident of San Francisco. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the world encompassing over 3,200 specimens with a specific emphasis on color, quality, and style/aesthetics, which is evident in every piece. He admired specimens of all sizes from thumbnails to large cabinets and the vast majority of them rank from fine to world-class in their quality.
Above all else, Jack is considered to be the greatest gentleman in the modern era of mineral collecting. He is beloved by all those who have met him, and he truly is one of the most iconic figures in the mineral world. We recently acquired Jack's 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 pieces for their collections. We are honored to have the opportunity to offer Jack's treasures to everyone on a regular basis in the auctions.
We encourage you to read our blog post at https://www.irocks.com/the-jack-halpern-collection or his profile on the Mineralogical Record website https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/halpernjack/ for more information