Gold

813 pit, Alta Gold Mine, Olinghouse Mining District, Pah Rah Range, Washoe Co., Nevada, USA
Large Cabinet, 15.5 x 7.3 x 6.7 cm
Start Time: 11/30/2023 7:30:00 pm (CST)
End Time: 12/07/2023 6:45:00 pm (CST)
Auction Closed
Winning Bid: $249

Item Description

Here we have a LARGE CABINET sized, classic example of these famous Golds from the old finds of the 1990s in the Olinghouse District of Nevada. The piece hosts small, brilliant, very sharp, notably well-formed, metallic yellow (with slight iridescent oxidation on the surface) crystals of Gold on matrix. With some magnification, you can see how beautiful and delicate the little Gold crystal are with good luster and eye-catching forms. Most of the crystals are narrow/elongated in habit forming "leaf", "blade" or "wire"-esque morphologies. The crystals are best seen under the microscope, but you can get a good idea of their quality with a loupe, and I've photographed them with a Canon MP-E 65 mm macro lens to better illustrate their quality. This mine is now closed, with further specimen production unlikely, so if you're a fan of Gold specimens or fine crystallized examples (albeit micro) of native elements, don't miss out on this one. In the modern age of mineral collecting, the famous Golds from the Alta Gold Mine are some of the most recognizable and beautifully well-crystallized Gold specimens from any US locality. There are not nearly as many of these specimens on the market compared to 20+ years ago, and it's a shame because some of them exhibit some of the most beautiful and superb crystallization you'll see from anywhere.

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Bidding History

Bid Amount Bid Time
$249 12/03/2023 11:28:26 pm (CST)