Smithsonite (multi-color)

Item Description

A case can be made that the Smithsonites from Choix are the most colorful examples of the species ever found. They not only are found in good sized, showy display specimens, but they often feature wonderfully bright colors, typically showing more than one hue on the same specimen. This piece is a lovely, cabinet sized example featuring a coverage of vitreous, botryoidal groups on matrix which range in color from a pinkish-lavender shade on one end, that transition into a lilac-blue color in the middle, ending with a classic almost "Kelly" blue on the other end. Minimal peripheral roughness can be seen, but the piece is largely in great condition. A wonderful example of these iconic and highly desirable Smithsonites from one of the premier localities for the species in the world.

From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 1423. Jack was born May 18, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, but has been a long-time resident of San Francisco. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the world encompassing over 3,200 specimens with a specific emphasis on color, quality, and style/aesthetics, which is evident in every piece. He admired specimens of all sizes from thumbnails to large cabinets and the vast majority of them rank from fine to world-class in their quality.
Above all else, Jack is considered to be the greatest gentleman in the modern era of mineral collecting. He is beloved by all those who have met him, and he truly is one of the most iconic figures in the mineral world. We recently acquired Jack's collection, and the VAST majority of these pieces will be offered here in the auctions, as we feel that everyone deserves and equal opportunity at acquiring these important, well-documented and fine quality pieces for their collections. We are honored to have the opportunity to offer Jack's treasures to everyone on a regular basis in the auctions.
We encourage you to read our blog post at https://www.irocks.com/the-jack-halpern-collection or his profile on the Mineralogical Record website https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/halpernjack/ for more information