Rutile (classic material)

Item Description

The classic Rutile crystals from the famed Champion Mine in California don't get enough credit for their quality and excellent crystallization. Perhaps the most famous Rutiles from any US locality are the celebrated examples from Graves Mountain in Georgia, which are very well-known, and I feel the Champion Mine pieces are somewhat forgotten, which is a shame because the best pieces hold their own against the Georgia specimens in terms of quality. With that said, the quantity of Rutiles from the Champion Mine was also significantly less, which makes them a bit more desirable in my opinion. This piece features a few highly lustrous, razor-sharp, deep metallic silvery-red color Rutile crystals sitting on attached Pyrophyllite matrix. The largest Rutile measures 2.1 cm across. The piece is in good shape, but not damage-free as the largest crystal on the side of the piece is contacted on the back, and I can see one small imperfection on the crystal in the middle of the piece. The smaller crystal on the far left is absolutely perfect. A wonderful example of these beautiful old classics dating back to the 1960s.