Pyrite

Item Description

please note the updated description, as the decision was initially made to trust to an older label, but we are actually fairly certain it is from the location that is still being worked today. It is from Navajun of course. Even buying it from the mining project today, it would cost at least several thousand euros.
Here we have a wonderful classic cubic Pyrite specimen from Spain, from the typical Navajún area in La Rioja, rather than the lesser-known locality in Soria, Castile and Leon, Spain per old label. The piece features several, razor-sharp, well-formed textbook, cubic crystals of a soft golden metallic hue measuring up to 4.2 cm on edge, free of matrix. The piece is nearly a complete "floater", but there is a point of contact/attachment on the base, so it's not completely crystallized all around. I love the form/arrangement of the piece with the smaller crystals tapering away from the larger center cube. A gorgeous piece ! 
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 1735. 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-jac... or his profile on the Mineralogical Record website https://mineralogicalrecord.co... for more information