Quartz with Goethite overgrowth (Halpern Coll.)

Item Description

This is a superb example of a bizarre and unique association from Graves Mountain, Georgia that has produced these famous combination specimens for collectors. It features a large 8.5 cm-tall, terminated Quartz crystal, completely and evenly coated by an iridescent, very colorful coating of Goethite, that some people oddly refer to as "turgite" for reasons I cannot recall (but many mineral collectors used to do this). The Quartz sits on a piece of matrix that is also coated by the iridescent Hematite. The iridescent Hematite here, with its bubbly texture and play of purple, green and blue hues, has coated the entire specimen including the large, dramatic Quartz crystal, creating this bizarre "landscape" of form and color. Numerous, shiny, gray metallic, 1 mm spheres of Hematite are clustered locally on the piece and reveal their radiating, bladed interior. Complete all around and more colorful in the front, this is simply one of the best-preserved, most colorful, and most balanced examples of this material we have seen - also complete, pristine, and the right size for most of us. Quite simply, most of these things are ugly and this is decidedly beautiful. This is a classic American specimen out of Jack Halpern's fabulous collection. Valued $4500-ish.... but honestly, it is hard to say as we have seen many and none so fine for aesthetics as this. There is nothing I know to really calibrate it at, beyond being a great American rock in a size range we all love. We are truly honored to present this specimen from another lot of deaccessions from the collection of Jack Halpern of San Francisco (for more info: https://www.irocks.com/the-jack-halpern-collection).