Kunzite (3 GEM crystals) (ex Bill Larson Collection)

Item Description

A beautiful 3 specimen suite of GEM QUALITY Kunzite crystals from the famous Beebe Hole Mine, near Jacumba in San Diego County. The largest crystal measures 6.7 x 1.7 x 1.3 cm, followed by the middle specimen at 3.1 x 2.2 x 2.1 cm and the smallest piece measures 2.9 x 2.1 x 1.3 cm. All three pieces weigh 53.1 grams combined. The crystals are virtually all WATER CLEAR in clarity, and have that distinctive pink hue for which the material is known, but it shows a more vibrant color when viewed down the "c" axis. While the crystals are mostly etched, they still retain some of their original crystal faces, but I love the mixture of the gentle ethereal forms and the slightly striated monoclinic prisms. These pieces were collected in the 1970s by the mine owner, Loren Beebe, and are a wonderful example of the fine gem material that came out during this time.
From the collection of Bill Larson of Fallbrook, California. Bill is a well-known gem and mineral dealer as well as a miner and collector. Bill is synonymous with minerals of San Diego County, and owned and operated famous mines such as the Stewart Lithia, the Tourmaline Queen, the Pala Chief and the Himalaya, producing some of the most iconic mineral specimens to come out of the area during the 1970s-1980s. Bill is also known as "Burma Bill" and traveled the world for decades in search of fine gems and minerals, and was directly involved in the in-person acquisition and importation of superb specimens and stones from Myanmar (Burma). You can read his biography at https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/larsonwilliam-f/