Mimetite (Gem Pocket)

Item Description

1971 saw the discovery of the famous Mimetite “Gem Pocket", one of Tsumeb's great pockets. Indeed, according to most people who score such things, this find has not been surpassed since by any Mimetite from any location for size and quality of transparency (though China has given them a good run for color, none were gemmy). A superb small-cabinet specimen, this is composed of GEMMY, yellow Mimetites with great adamantine luster. Most are hexagonal barrels with beautifully beveled, flat terminations - the classic habit for this find. The crystals reach up to 1.4 cm, and while you are fortunate and very happy to find any specimen with one good crystal, this piece has DOZENS. They are like yellow gems! As you can imagine, Gem Pocket Mimetites are highly coveted and were quite hard to obtain back then, let alone after 50+ years. Just a handful are for sale in any given generation window of collectors, that is a fact. Much better in person, this cluster is one of the finest Tsumeb minerals we will have the honor to auction from the Pohl collection. Remarkable and important, this is absolutely a five figure specimen and we have seen lesser specimens priced, recently, at 25-35,000 euros with major foreign dealers specializing in the old Tsumeb materials at retail prices. NOTE ADDED:  there is one broken or contacted crystal nestled in the middle (we believe a contact to matrix, where some galena was attached); the rest are in pristine or as near to pristine condition.