Proustite (great old classic) (ex Harvard University Collection)

Item Description

Proustite is the most beloved and highly sought after the "Ruby Silver" species, and old specimens from Germany can be among the most desirable examples in the world. This piece dates back to circa early 1900s and features many well-formed, sharp, trigonal crystals of Proustite in a semi-"star burst" formation along with a flowing ridge of crystal running down the right side of the underlying matrix. The largest individual Proustite crystal measures 6 mm long. Due to the age of the specimen, some of the crystals have heavy oxidation, and are virtually opaque, but there are still a few of them that show the classic internal blood red color when backlit! Understandably, there is some roughness in areas, but overall the piece is in fantastic condition and really looks beautiful up close. The given locality for the specimen on the label is Graul, and this is honestly the first specimen of Proustite that I've seen from there. It's quite difficult to ascertain the value of a piece like this as these old classics are virtually impossible to find on the market these days, but I would put it in the $750-$1000 range. The piece comes from the Pearse Collection from Harvard University and is accompanied by an old label.