Quartz (RARE locality specimen) (ex Henry de Linde Collection)

Item Description

Do not confuse this locality with the Monte Cristo Mines in Garland County, Arkansas, THIS piece is from the Monte Cristo Mine near Rush, which is most famous for its beautiful yellow "turkey fat" Smithsonite specimens. While Quartz is not a rare mineral worldwide, this is truly the FIRST Quartz specimen that we've ever had to offer from this locality, and I looked on mindat.org, and didn't even see another one posted there. This hefty and robust large cabinet display specimen is loaded with sharp, well-formed, off-white colored pyramidal Quartz crystals measuring up to 3.8 cm, which are associated with an unknown cream colored mineral (possibly Calcite or Dolomite). The display side of the specimen is in superb condition, and there is no major damage anywhere, outside of the periphery where the piece was removed from the pocket wall. If you flip the specimen over, you can see the words "RUSH ARK" written with permanent marker (presumably by de Linde himself), and there is an interesting hollow opening (possibly a "cast") as well. A really cool and impressive Quartz specimen from this famous locality. If you collect worldwide Quartz specimens, or minerals from the southern United States, this is a must have for the locality alone. Valued between $1,500-$2,000 retail. From the collection of Henry de Linde (March 21, 1923 – April 4, 2019) of Hot Spring, Arkansas. Henry was one of the most prominent figures in the history of Arkansas mining and mineral collecting. Along with being a miner, mineral collector and an amateur mineralogist, de Linde was one of the founders of the Coon Creek Association mineral club. He was the owner of several key localities in Arkansas including the Diamond Jo Quarry (on the south rim of Magnet Cove), the type locality for Delindeite, which was named in his honor in 1987.