Hematite (iridescent) (classic material)

Item Description

The isle of Elba is famous for several minerals. First off, it's the namesake of TWO different species (Elbaite and Ilvaite) which were first discovered there, but it has also produced beautiful specimens of Hematite, which are iconic for their form and color, which I realize is surprising to say because Hematite is not a terribly colorful species, but the Elba specimens can often show beautiful metallic iridescence on the surface, and this piece is a great example of said material. Several sharp, well-formed, lustrous, thick bladed crystals measuring up to 1.1 cm across showing various hues ranging from the traditional silvery-grey metallic shade to orange, pink, blue and purple due to the surface oxidation. Minor Pyrite is present on the piece as well for a nice touch. Minimal damage, but overall it's a very eye-catching example of what are some of the most historic and well-known Hematites in the world.
Please note that there is an accompanying label from Clifford Krueger that states there is a label from Washington Roebling that accompanies the piece, but it was not present when we acquired Jack's collection.
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 2713 . 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