Gypsum var: Selenite (''floater'' specimen)

Item Description

Gypsum is found in many localities around the world, but certain specimens stand out from other in terms of their color and quality. When these particular pieces from Winnipeg first came to the market, many collectors thought that that they were some of the most impressive, flashy and colorful specimens of Gypsum from any world locality. This small cabinet specimen consists of razor-sharp, very well-formed, GEMMY, rich golden color, bladed crystals of Gypsum which are growing around a central "core" of sandy-brown colored Gypsum at the center of the piece. The largest individual Gypsum measures about 1.3 cm at its longest dimension. This specimen is a complete "floater", and formed in a calcium clay/sediment, with no point of attachment whatsoever. Once the sediment was rinsed off, the perfect specimens were revealed. The piece is beautifully fluorescent as well, showing a light yellow hue under both SW and LW UV light. Another important aspect of this specimen is that it is NOT repaired, which makes a difference with this material, as many were glued back together. Don't miss out on what I'm sure will be considered a Canadian "classic" in years to come. Good size, form, aesthetics and quality.
ATTENTION: We are happy to announce our new book featuring the Jack Halpern collection entitled "Addicted to Beauty", which will be available in March from the Mineralogical Record. The following is an excerpt from Rob Lavinsky from the foreword of the book. "I am honored to have been entrusted with the deaccessioning of Jack Halpern’s famed collection. This book is not only designed to commemorate Jack's minerals, but also the man himself and how he inspired so many of us who are in the hobby today. Regarding the sale of his collection, Jack’s one comment and wish to me and to his family and friends was that we would carry forward his 'Legacy of Beauty' out into the broad world."
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 1509. 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