Neptunite (Perkin & Halpern Coll.)

Item Description

This old time specimen is a large matrix plate of neptunite, rich with crystals of this rare titanium mineral to an inch (2.5 cm) in size! It is not only large, but is richly covered and fairly balanced. This is from the famous collection of Willard Perkin (1907-1991), after whom the Perky Box was named (for thumbnail specimens). What people may not remember often today, is that before he switched to becoming THE thumbnail guru and specialist as both a dealer and collector, he collected cabinet specimens and had showcases in his garage of large classic minerals. When he decided to part with the cabinet specimens and only do thumbnails later in life in the mid 1970s, he sold this Neptunite to Jack, and it has been in the Halpern collection since that time. We have a nice blog article on the collection and the growth of thumbnail collecting, here: https://www.irocks.com/little-wonders-connoisseur-thumbnails-in-the-contemporary-collector-market. Valued $3000-4000.