Realgar (excellent quality) (Mined: 1995)

Item Description

Before the "boom" of Chinese minerals really started to hit the US market, some of the first pieces to find there way west were the world-class Realgar specimens from the Shimen Deposit. These pieces are considered to be the best example of Realgar from any locality with larger-than-average crystals, along with superior luster, form, gemminess and color. This piece was mined in 1995 and is a great example of said material as it features many very sharp, highly lustrous, well-formed, intense red colored crystals measuring up to 1.7 cm, on minor matrix. It's incredibly difficult to find completely pristine examples of this material, so tiny imperfections are often visible and I can see some little nicks on this piece, but you really have to look closely to find them. The color and gemminess are unmistakable, as virtually no other mineral looks like Realgar at its best. A choice piece of this classic exemplary material. Valued $2,000.
Ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.