Rhodochrosite with Fluorite and Apatite (mined 1978) (ex Rich Kosnar Collection)

Item Description

The Sweet Home mine is famous for its Rhodochrosite specimens, but it has produced some VERY nice Fluorites as well. For those who don't know, Richard Kosnar mined the Sweet Home for a few years during the late 1970's and managed to collect some excellent Rhodo specimens. This piece features an excellent, 1.2 cm, sharp, complete, pink-red color rhombohedron of Rhodochrosite prominently sitting atop a mound of mixed sulfides which are coated by gemmy, white "needle" Quartz crystals. The Rhodo crystal is associated with a gemmy purple dodecahedron of Fluorite with good sharpness and luster, plus small, greenish color, prismatic Apatite crystals! A FANTASTIC association specimen from the mine that produced the world's finest quality Rhodochrosites. Despite the smaller size, this is a good quality Fluorite from the Sweet Home, and pieces like this one are almost never seen on the open market. This piece is from one of the later pockets that Rich Kosnar opened when he was at the end of mining seasnon in 1978. Valued at $850-$1000 for quality, aesthetics and the associations.