Silver on Chalcocite ore, Ex. Carlton Davis

Item Description

This specimen is part of the 2020 Dallas Mineral Collecting Symposium benefit auction, with proceeds benefiting Mineralogical Record, Rocks & Minerals, Tucson Gem and Mineral Society, and mindat.org. Thanks to all of our participants!

Billing for this auction will occur on Monday, August 24, for payment using PayPal or credit card. Shipping will be billed at cost, or please contact brandy@mineralauctions.com if you'd like to plan on picking up items at future shows or during a stop through Dallas.

An unusually fine and rich specimen of native silver from Tsumeb, where this is really quite uncommon! Incidentally, it is on massive, heavy chalcocite ore. The silver exists as thin crystalline layers that formed in vein cracks in the ore, and so you have these bright microcrystalline patterns that look like silver webbing on the dark black chalcocite. A unique, rare silver locality, and this is a displayable specimen for any Tsumeb collector as well. From the collection of Carlton Davis, well-known Ohio collector of thumbnails, rare species, and Tsumeb material. He obtained this from his good friend Charlie Key. When I grew up in Ohio, Carlton was my mentor, and so this was probably the first silver specimen I ever held, and it passed to me to handle the collection for his estate in the late 1990s, when it later sold to Richard Mushlitz and remained in his fine collection of rare and classic minerals until now (-Rob L.). Photos by Tom Campbell (closeups highlighting the flash of mettalic silver) and Jingnan Zhang. Valued $1500-2000. These are rare!
Donated by Arkenstone.