Native Silver with Chalcocite (RARE locality specimen) (ex Richard A. Kosnar Collection)

Item Description

Native elements are not unheard of from the Franklin District, but they are certainly rare. Silver has only been reported a few times, and this piece could be from the 1909 discovery mentioned by Charles Palache in his 1935 professional paper about Franklin and Sterling Hill (which is being offered in this week's auction). A massive piece of grey-black Chalcocite hosts micro Silver and some iridescent Bornite (?) along with fluorescent Willemite (green under UV light) and Calcite (red under UV light). Additionally a small amount of Zincite can be found, and tiny partial black octahedral crystals what is possibly Franklinite, but could likely be Magnetite, as it was reported by Palache. From the collection of Richard A. Kosnar, famed mineral dealer and the namesake for the phosphate species Kosnarite. The piece is also accompanied by a label from noted Franklin mineral dealers, Helen and Ewald Gerstmann.