Rhodochrosite (classic old USA locale!)

Item Description

Alluring older specimen of translucent, medium pink, sharp rhombohedral crystals of Rhodochrosite from Butte, Montana (this style is known to have come from the Emma Mine in the mid 1900s). While Butte as a mining district produced significant numbers of Rhodochrosite, aesthetic display quality specimens were ALWAYS rare and few; and now only surface on the market occasionally through old collections. This specimen comes to us from well known collector Jack Halpern from San Francisco. Jack had an eye for beauty and it is easy to see why he selected this specimen. There are several individual rhombs, largest measuring 1.3 cm, that are well defined sitting amongst the clusters of crystals all exhibiting sharp angles associated with stepped growth. The piece has an appealing three dimensionality to it and an unusual almost spherical rhombohedral cluster providing additional interest and texture. The older piece has some bruising and edge wear but is in overall good condition. A nice substantial sized Rhodochrosite specimen with a beautiful pink color! It is just hard to beat the captivation of a good Rhodochrosite. It is noted that while Jack's label has this Rhodochrosite attributed to the Leonard Mine it is most likely not from this mine as Rhodochrosite should not have occurred at the Leonard (Reference: The Mineralogical Record (2002): 33(1) (special issue on Butte, Montana). A common mix up in the older era before MINDAT and websites, as Leonard Mine produced much of the covellite that people bought at the time. Ex. Jack Halpern Collection No. 1485. Valued $3000-5000.