Scheelite on manganese-bearing Calcite (unique specimen) (ex Kurt Hefendehl Collection)

Item Description

The Yaogangxian Mine is well-known among collectors for producing a good amount of fine quality crystallized mineral species. Over the years it has produced some excellent Scheelite crystals. This piece is certainly one of the more singular examples of this material that we've encountered as it features a notably well-formed, razor-sharp, lustrous, deep purplish-brown colored pseudo-octahedral crystal measuring 1.9 cm sitting atop an etched crystal of what is likely either Ferberite or Sphalerite, on a thin beige colored layer of Muscovite. There are also some unidentified thin, tabular metallic crystals lying flat against the Muscovite which have a distinct iridescence on the surface (possibly Arsenopyrite?). When you flip the piece over, it literally becomes a completely different mineral specimen as there are a few robust, blocky, pale pink colored (manganese-bearing) Calcite rhombs. The Calcites have a graceful and elegant somewhat skeletal or "hoppered" appearance, giving them an additional touch of three-dimensional depth. I can't remember seeing another specimen like this from Yaogangxian in terms of composition and just how wild the paragenesis is. It's also remarkably aesthetic to boot! You can see why Kurt was drawn to this piece, it just calls to you from across a room. The Scheelite shows a classic white-blue fluorescence under SW UV light, and there are actually many tiny Scheelites on the back of the piece, that you don't even notice until they are exposed to the UV light. If you collect Chinese minerals, worldwide Scheelites, or if you're just a fan of really unique and attractive display specimens, this is a truly singular example from one of the most prolific mines in all of China. Valued in the neighborhood of $4,000-$5,000 retail. From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl, a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces. He was very active mineralogically until shortly before his passing in 2020 at the age of 82. Considering his collection had a large number of pieces, it still had an unusually high standard of quality from most worldwide localities. He particularly specialized in all classics as well as minerals of the Black Forest, where he spent much time collecting. His Black Forest and German subcollections went to his good friend Wolfgang Wendel. We at The Arkenstone have the privilege of offering the remainder of this great worldwide collection over the next two to three years through our various platforms.