"Sand" Calcite (ex Geary Murdock Collection)

Item Description

A beautiful and rarely seen specimen of the famous and elusive "Sand" Calcites from Rattlesnake Butte in South Dakota. This locality is sometimes referred to as "Devil's Hill" or "Snake Hill", but the specimens are unmistakable. A group of sharp, well-formed, scalenohedral crystals of Calcite - with the largest measuring a full 4.8 cm! - that have a beige tinge created by particles of sand included inside the Calcites. According to MINDAT: the site is a National Natural Landmark (NNL) and is closed to collecting, but a fair amount of specimens came out over 50 years ago. Good quality, with no real damage to the display side. From the worldwide collection of noted Idaho collector Geary Murdock. Among other accomplishments, Geary was responsible for discovering some of the finest gem grade deep blue Aquamarine crystals in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho - which remain arguably the finest Aquamarines from any North American locality. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36634006/geary-jack-murdock