Rhodochrosite (very rare locale) (ex Dr. William Logan Collection)

Item Description

From the lesser known Urad Mine near Berthoud Pass just east of the Continental Divide in Colorado, here we have a hard to find matrix Rhodochrosite specimen dating back to the 1960s-1970s. This mine is best known for its molybdenum production, but did yield some attractive Rhodochrosites (in very limited quantity). This small cabinet display specimen features a few sharp, gemmy, reddish-pink rhombs of Rhodochrosite measuring up to 1.2 cm which are sitting on Quartz with minor associated Pyrite on matrix. The rhombs have attractive secondary modifying faces along the edges, which is characteristic of the locality. A small cleave can be seen on the front of one of the larger rhombs, along with a tiny imperfection on the top of the main crystal, so the piece isn't 100% damage free, but you just don't see matrix specimen of Rhodochrosite from the Urad Mine on the market. If the piece was completely damage free, I could easily value it in the $1,500 range, but it's a great bargain for the $249 starting bid as it ticks a box that most Rhodochrosite or Colorado collectors don't have in their collection. From the worldwide Rhodochrosite collection of Dr. William S. Logan (Specimen #X81-1) with a few labels from previous dealers.