Rhodochrosite on Sphalerite (ex Dave Bergman Collection)

Item Description

The Champion mine is well known to Colorado collectors, but specimens are seldom available on the market. The piece features many sharp, soft pink color, compressed rhombohedra of Rhodochrosite forming semi-"rosette"-shaped groups sitting on contrasting black Sphalerite matrix with small bits of Pyrite sprinkled here and there. This is certainly a worthwhile specimen from this hard to find locality in southwestern Colorado. The largest Rhodo measures about 2 mm, but they are beautiful up close. From the collection of Dave Bergman. Dave is a Colorado miner (the foreman and primary person in charge of recovering specimens at the famous Sweet Home Mine near Alma, Colorado during the late 1970s) and the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. See Dave's photo mining at the Sweet Home on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".