Rhodochrosite - unusual find, ex Halpern

Item Description

Botryoidal, rounded rhodochrosite is a rare thing in nature and this startling occurence in Brazil really surprised the market with a very few specimens that came out in the early 2000s in several pockets. This was the better of the two large pockets I remember (the other having larger plates with smaller balls upon them) . They sold immediately at Tucson, and a few major collectors got one and then...nothing for the rest of us. I have only seen a few in the last 2 decades, come back on the market. I think I have sold only one before of this better style, and now this makes two - they are rare! The largest sphere here is 1.7 cm across and the isolated gorgeous ball on the white quartz is 1.3 cm across. This isolation on the quartz is what made the best of these, so unique and desirable. It is all about the contrast. We value this highly - try finding one these days. We are truly honored to present this specimen from another lot of deaccessions from the collection of Jack Halpern of San Francisco, as featured in the Mineralogical Record, March 2005.