Pyromorphite (classic material)

Item Description

Perhaps the most celebrated and desirable European locality for Pyromorphite is the classic Les Farges Mine in France. This locality not only one of the great localities for the species, but the supreme color and quality of its Pyromorphites feature the finest green color ever seen in the species. This mine produced specimens from the 1970s into the very early 1980s, and closed forever in 1981. This lovely specimen features well-formed, prismatic hexagonal crystals measuring up to about 5 mm, along with thin "crusts" covering the underlying Quartz matrix. The crystals are best seen under magnification. The rich coverage of crystals, combined with the sculptural form of the piece, and the good overall quality make it a very pleasing example of these beloved Pyromorphites. Perhaps the best aspect of the specimen is that the crystals are clearly a GREEN hue, not brown or a variation of brown, like you'll find in a lot of pieces from this mine. Some of the "crusts" have more of a yellowish-green tone to them. A true classic and certainly less common on the market than years ago. Valued $1,500.
From the collection of the long time, beloved, well-known French field collector, Paul Zerfass (Collection #32). Zerfass built this worldwide collection over nearly 50 years, many of which were personally collected. A biography featuring specimens from his collection (along with his face on the cover) is in the May - June 2017 issue of French mineral magazine, Le Règne Minéral. We have a .pdf copy of the article for anybody interested in reading it (though it's mostly in French). Just drop us a line and know that you'd like to have a copy.