Pentagonite (rare classic material)

Item Description

Despite the fact that Pentagonite is a fairly well-known species, it's still a rare mineral, as fine specimens have only been found in one place in the world. It's definitely one of those minerals that can be directly tied to a single world locality, in this case, Wagholi Quarries in India. If it were not for the pieces from this area, I don't think many people would know about Pentagonite, at almost certainly not in any display quality specimen. Not only are the finest examples found at this locality, but they are also incredibly beautiful and highly displayable. The magnificent intense electric blue color is what draws the eye, but the superb crystallization makes them all the more enticing. When it comes to rarities, most of the time, crystals are small and nondescript. In the case of a species like Pentagonite, the crystals are larger and beautiful. Pentagonite, chemically is identical to Cavansite, but it is dimorphous in the fact that the habit of the crystals is different. Pentagonite gets its name due to the fact that the crystals form in unusual five-fold "pentagonal star" cyclic twins consisting of 5 individual crystals that loop creating a minor distortion of the crystal lattice. These 5-sided or 5-pointed crystals are incredibly rare in nature. For reference, here is a link to a photo of a close-up of a textbook twin of the material ( https://i.pinimg.com/236x/07/ed/60/07ed60470bade3918ceff313f2d8a9d4--image-search-amber.jpg ). This attractive specimen features a good quality, beautiful, sharp, neon blue aggregate of Pentagonite free of matrix with individual "spires" measuring about 9 mm long. I feel these Pentagonites are not appreciated enough due to the fact they are still available on the market, but like many minerals from India, they are the finest representation of their respective species ever found. Keep in mind that minerals like Adamite from the Ojuela Mine or Fluorites from Southern Illinois, were undervalued back in the day due to their abundance, but have increased dramatically in value now that no more are being found. I was told by a close dealer friend from India that there is only ONE quarry left in Wagholi that is still producing this material, and it won't be around for much longer due to suburban sprawl, so don't miss out on them while they're still coming out.
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 3941. Jack was born May 18, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, but has been a long-time resident of San Francisco. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the world encompassing over 3,200 specimens with a specific emphasis on color, quality, and style/aesthetics, which is evident in every piece. He admired specimens of all sizes from thumbnails to large cabinets and the vast majority of them rank from fine to world-class in their quality.
Above all else, Jack is considered to be the greatest gentleman in the modern era of mineral collecting. He is beloved by all those who have met him, and he truly is one of the most iconic figures in the mineral world. We recently acquired Jack's collection, and the VAST majority of these pieces will be offered here in the auctions, as we feel that everyone deserves and equal opportunity at acquiring these important, well-documented and fine quality pieces for their collections. We are honored to have the opportunity to offer Jack's treasures to everyone on a regular basis in the auctions.
We encourage you to read our blog post at https://www.irocks.com/the-jack-halpern-collection or his profile on the Mineralogical Record website https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/halpernjack/ for more information