Rhodochrosite with Galena

Item Description

This impressive, large China rhodochrosite specimen has huge crystals to 4.3 cm, set on a sphalerite matrix and is richly dusted with contrasting, melted-look galena crystals. Large Chinese rhodos in this condition, and this display quality, are only starting to come out recently and nobody knows if there will be more or less in our future. Most are rather expensive, in any size (they value big crystals, after all, too!). This is a large piece, impressive in display, and very colorful - a great China rock for any collection! A dealer friend of mine bought a several hundred piece mine-run lot and was able to prep and clean them himself, and find a few sleepers such as this one in the midst, or I would never be able to offer it for auction here. A piece like this should have cost around $2000-3000 normally for me to get, before markup. He had $2000 on his tag, which I took against a trade. I do realistically value this at $3000, though...try to find another with such large crystals and so much relief, for the price, anyhow! The rhodos are actually in super-good condition, overall, for such dense coverage, with very little bruising or edgewear.