Rhodochrosite and Quartz (Tom Campbell & Alex Neufeld Coll.)

Item Description

This specimen is an excellent Colorado rhodochrosite for the size and price range for a few obvious reasons: sharp aesthetics featuring separated instead of grouped crystals; sharp crystal form; condition (no damage or repairs); and crystal size. The large crystal is razor sharp, and is a full inch (2.5 cm) across! This piece has excellent contrast to the quartz matrix in terms of color and texture, but also a 3-dimensional contrast as well because the rhodo crystals stand up nicely: They are not buried, as all too often the case. The matrix also is unusually rich in pyrite, which is rare for this location. Small, tiny, sparkling pyrite crystals are hidden like golden flecks of light, among the quartz crystals, and so the piece has an extra reflective "brightness" that is difficult to capture in the camera, but the human eye sees as pinpricks of golden color as we look at it and move it in the hand. The color on the rhodochrosite is excellent "strawberry red" hue, although not the cherry red of some other pockets. It is what I would call a high-intermediate color, and attractive. Long in the Dr. Tom Campbell collection, acquired in the 1990s, and then more recently in the collection of Alex Neufeld. As to value, this was owned by two friends for a reason: This is a fine small cabinet piece that is about the best you can get if spending way over $10,000 for a good specimen, with the pricing on them these days. Also, again, it has no repairs or restoration, as do so many. It is a good size and balance, and we all thought that for the price range, a very worthy addition to any growing collection that should readily be valued at least at $7500-10,000 here, or at a somewhat higher price if on dealer shelves in Tucson.