Smithsonite ex Kidwell

Item Description

This is a beautiful, translucent magenta, small cabinet Smithsonite specimen from this old and classic mining district in Mexico. The piece has the wonderful attributes of gorgeous magenta-pink that is distinctly translucent with rolling coverage botryoidal Smithsonite displaying an attractive scintillating luster with the largest botryoid measuring 2.3 cm across. The first find with this color was in the 1960s and Al purchased this in 1971 so it is one of the original find! Really good magenta-pink Smithsonites like this one from Choix are rarely available today, with most pink Smithsonites currently originating from the older finds and newer material found by Benny Fenn in the 1990s and then early 2000s of the more blue color spectrum. A fine piece, valued $1000-1500. From the diverse and historic collection of one of the great field collectors and mineralogists of mid-1900s Texas, Albert Kidwell of Houston (1919-2008), after whom the mineral Kidwellite is named.