Sphalerite and Quartz

Item Description

What a dramatic, textbook crystal of Sphalerite from Dalnegorsk! A large, three-sided pyramid of lustrous, black Sphalerite sits on a contrasting matrix of pale yellowish Quartz crystals. That quartz color is due to iron staining or inclusions. The prominent Sphalerite measures 4 cm on edge, has glossy faces and stacked, low-profile, triangular shapes as growth hillocks on the exposed corner. The form is a tetrahedron with modified corners.The big crystal has a couple of intergrown sidecar Sphalerites incorporated into a couple of the faces and there is also pair of 1 cm Sphalerites adjacent. The Quartz crystals make for an attractive backdrop with the needle-like, 2 mm to 1.3 cm, translucent to opaque yellowish Quartz crystals in random orientation on the display surface. Ocherous iron-staining is visible on the substrate between the Quartz crystals for ultimate complimentary color contrast. Classic early Dalnegorsk material, purchased by Kurt Hefendehl from some of the first Russian dealers to attend European shows in the 1980s and 1990s. Valued $1000-1250.