Goethite (''Samtblende'') (''cast'') - with label dated 1856

Item Description

A really interesting and unusual historic specimen from Příbram, that unlike anything I've seen from the entire district. This piece is from the collection of Kurt Hefendehl, and his the entry in his collection catalogue mentions that this piece was formerly in the National Museum in Vienna, and was found in 1856! We found and posted the label to match this. He refers to the piece as "Samtblende", which is a German term for "fuzzy" / "velvety" Goethite, and according to mindat.org, "the name is derived from the German word for "velvet" and is often used for this variety in Germany and Bohemia". This piece is not just Goethite, but it's clearly a hollow "cast" (epimorph / perimorph), after an unknown preexisting mineral (the label mentions "Schwerspath", which was an old term for Baryte, but it's unlikely that the original mineral was Baryte because it's almost chemically inert, and anything caustic enough to dissolve Baryte would certainly dissolve the Goethite as well, so perhaps the Goethite replaced a mineral like Anhydrite).  Nevertheless, the original mineral has been dissolved away, and you can clearly see the blocky form that is now well-preserved by the Goethite. A really cool antique specimen that is honestly the only one like it that I can remember seeing.
From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl (#118 CS), a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces. He was very active mineralogically until shortly before his passing in 2020 at the age of 82. Considering his collection had a large number of pieces, it still had an unusually high standard of quality from most worldwide localities. He particularly specialized in all classics as well as minerals of the Black Forest, where he spent much time collecting. His Black Forest and German subcollections went to his good friend Wolfgang Wendel. We at The Arkenstone have the privilege of offering the remainder of this great worldwide collection over the coming months and years through our various platforms.