Rhodochrosite - ex. ARCHDUKE STEPHAN HABSBURG coll.

Item Description

Rhodochrosite from this ancient iron and manganese mine is a German classic, and this excellent old-timer has an outstanding provenance: having been in the famous mid-1800's era collection of the Archduke Stephan Habsburg of the Hungarian branch of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty (1817-1867). His labels, elegantly printed on gold foil-inlaid currency paper, are generally considered to be the most exquisite and famous of all time among mineral collectors. As for the piece, it is classic and representative of this famous find: Sculptural vugs and seams are lined with rounded, translucent, rose-red rhodo rhombs in a hematite-rich heavy matrix. His magnificent collection was sold to the German industrialist Carl Rumpff in 1888, whose own personal label is adhered on the bottom of the piece with an 1889 date (assuming it took him a year to catalogue all the pieces!). Much of his collection was later donated to a museum. This is thus an excellent old-time piece with a superb provenance. The piece displays very well without aid. Valued at $2000. Labels alone from the Archduke sometimes go for $1000 each.