Sphalerite & Wurzite, Galena, and Marcasite ex Jack Halpern Collection

Item Description

"Schalenblende" is the local old name for what turned out to be a mixture of Sphalerite, Wurtzite, Galena, and Marcasite. The golden bands are composed of the Sphalerite-Wurtzite series, and the beautiful pattern they form reminds one of the great, concentric patterns you also see in Malachite and Rhodochrosite, to name a few. Interestingly, the Sphalerite/Wurzite actually has a gentle and attractive orange-red fluorescence that was a delight to discover (but just would not photograph, for some reason). The yellow bands are enhanced with silvery, metallic Galena included throughout, and the Marcasite typically resides along the outer edges. Highly regarded as a great lapidary material, this specimen of Schalenblende from Poland more than stands on its own as a terrific and aesthetic mineral specimen. Formerly in the collection of dealer and collector Michel Jouty of Chamonix, France. There are numerous references to Jack and his collection in print, but perhaps a good tour of the collection and its history will help give perspective on just how good, and important, this collection is: https://www.irocks.com/the-jac...