Hematite var. Kidney Ore

Item Description

Wonderful mammillary masses from the Cumbria area have long been widely available. These were a classic of mineral cabinets of the 1800s and were found into the early 1900s, but certainly are not recent. They were the main ore for smelting iron, for some time, and you can imagine how few good specimens survived! They formed in huge rounded (Mammilary) masses in veins, and were harvested in bulk for the crushers. Miners saved some of these for the natural beauty and for doorstops (quite literally), and that is why what few survive today, survived. This specimen is on a par with those great specimens but a size we almost never see - small enough for most of us to colelct, and not weighing in at 5 pounds or more! Funny enough, small ones were rarely preserved, and miners and dealers of the day hauled out 5-20 pound specimens in abundance for themselves, and for museums. A small piece like this....that was not a collector market in abundance at the time, certainly not for the miners to reach. So, I can say this is one of a very rare few small cabinet sized specimens of quality out there to be had. It exhibits wonderful mammilary form, a deep chocolate color , and it is remarkably complete and pristine all around, 360 degrees. Valued $1500-2000. From the Keith Williams Collection of miniatures and small cabinet specimens - Keith was a well known dealer and collector for decades before retiring recently.