Sphalerite (gemmy twinned crystals)

Item Description

A choice example of this limited material from the Rucheng Mine in China. The majority of the Sphalerites from this mine show a red hue, but this particular find produced a different style, featuring intergrown twinned crystals showing a rich honey-gold hue when backlit. This piece is almost solid Sphalerite, loaded with excellent crystals free of matrix, with only a tiny bit of associated Quartz. The largest crystal measures 2.1 cm. The crystals glow with color when backlit, and I can't find any damage of note on the top/display side of the piece. The specimen is close to being a complete "floater", as the underside is largely re-crystallized ("re-healed") where it detached from the pocket wall. Very good quality for this discovery, and virtually unseen on the market today. The piece is well over a decade old, and you rarely see these exact specimens of this size and quality on the market anymore from Rucheng.
Ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.