Pyromorphite (classic material)

Item Description

Pyromorphite is one of the most popular secondary ore minerals, and perhaps the most celebrated and desirable European locality for the species is the classic Les Farges Mine in France. This locality is not only one of the great localities in history for the species, but the supreme color and quality of its Pyromorphites feature what some consider to be 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 7 mm on underlying Quartz matrix. The crystals are best seen up close, as there is a mixture of simple prisms and classic skeletal or "hoppered" examples. The rich coverage of crystals, combined with the sculptural form of the piece, along with the size and good overall quality make it a very desirable 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. A true classic and certainly less common on the market than years ago. Valued $4,500.
From the collection of the long time, beloved, well-known French field collector, Paul Zerfass (Collection #34). 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.