significant Azurite

Item Description

What an exquisite cluster of super lustrous, prismatic Azurite crystals from Touissit, Morocco! This gorgeous trio of royal blue Azurite crystals has incredibly aesthetic composition with the three crystals measuring 5, 4.5 and 3.3 cm in length, respectively. The crystal faces are highly lustrous with the prism faces showing relatively wide-spaced striations that make the faces glisten and and each crystal is topped by a dazzling, wedge-shaped termination. There is a contact at the top of the two largest crystals that don't detract from this aesthetic group, and there is contacting on the back where the piece was removed from the pocket matrix. There are at least a dozen smaller Azurite crystals distributed attractively around the base of the piece that range in size from 0.5 to 1.5 cm in length that add to the presentation. This was, and remains, a unique style of azurite from Morocco. Despite a quantity of Azurite from Tsumeb of different shapes and sizes, and later from Mexico, nothing else looks like THIS classic old style from the 1980s. For the shape, luster, and style, it is immediately recognizable as something rare and precious, and a Moroccan treasure. Dr. Pohl would have bought this in the 1980s, shortly after it was found, as it is number 42213 in the collection (which ended up over 100,000 pieces after 2000). A word on pricing: This is a highly displayable piece and should be valued higher compared to the relatively common Mexican azurites out there. Although different, similarly sized, fine Mexican Azurites in this price range are easily $10-20k on the open market, even pieces not that unique. I fail to understand why relatively recent Milpillas Azurites routinely sell for MORE than the more uncommon, old classics but perhaps it is that we so seldom see these for sale, and have little market context as a result.