Sphalerite (fine gemmy crystals) with Quartz

Item Description

A wonderful Sphalerite specimen from Creede, Colorado loaded with dozens of rather sharp, very lustrous, well-formed, euhedral crystals measuring up to 8 mm across, which are associated with little white radial "sprays" of Quartz on one end, on matrix. Additional Sphalerite and Quartz can be seen on the back of the piece, but the front/display side hosts the best crystals. You might think the Sphalerites are black and opaque in reflected light, which wouldn't be unusual as a lot of Sphalerites from Colorado ore bodies are dark and do not pass light, but when the crystals on this specimen are backlit, they show vivid internal colors, ranging from rich golden hues to yellow and even green, which is the rarest and most desirable color for the species from Creede. Nearly all of the Sphalerites are undamaged and they look so nice up close. We've done our best to illustrate the quality in the photos.
From the collection of Gary and Terry Butts of Livermore, Colorado. This husband and wife collecting duo were childhood sweethearts, and have been together since they began dating as teenagers growing up in East Des Moines, Iowa in the 1950s. Both of them had an early interest in the hobby thanks to the fact that Terry's parents had a keen interest in lapidary, which sparked an interest in rocks for both of them. Gary and Terry were featured in an article in the Des Moines Register on Feb 4, 1962 (see photo in this listing) highlighting their interest and prowess in the hobby as youngsters. Gary traveled to various localities around the US as a teenager with his father (who worked in the tin industry), to personally collect specimens. He then attended the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado and graduated in 1967 with a degree in extractive metallurgical engineering. We went to work for Duval Corp at the Esperanza Mine south of Tucson, Arizona and then work for Cyprus Mines, Hazen Research, Pincock, Allen & Holt and the Colorado School of Mines Research Institute. His final job was in the mineral and environmental division of Intertek Testing Services of London, which owned the Canadian mineral testing company, Bonder Clegg. Gary's various jobs allowed him to travel the world and build his collection by buying a lot of specimens in person when they were coming out of the ground. Additionally, Terry's uncle was a miner in Creede, Colorado and later owned a rock shop which supplied Gary with specimens from the area. The specimens in this auction represent what Gary and Terry considered the "cream of the crop" of their collection.