Large Calcite helectite (RARE old England) Kay Robertson Coll.

Item Description

Fantastically sculptural and RARE large old stalactitic calcite cave helectites from from the baryte producing Silverband Mine or an unknown nearby limestone outcrop. This huge surreal looking 360-degree lightly tinted translucent specimen has dramatic appendages, the large one looking like antlers! Complete all-around and pristine. Both ends are contacted and one end of the stalactite reveals the hollow tube, where the precipitating fluids flowed, adding pizzazz. Ex Kay Robertson Collection # 721 and acquired from Scott Williams in the 1950s. Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017). VERY RARE, perhaps unique old cave calcite from this less well-known Cumbria locale. Westmorland was an administrative county between 1889 and 1974, after which the whole county was administered by the new administrative county of Cumbria (Wikipedia). Value???