Sphalerite & Quartz on Calcite (rare old combo) Robertson Coll.

Item Description

Well-crystallized sphalerite is relatively rare from the historic mines at St Andreasberg. This is a RARE, dramatic and sculptural old-time small cabinet combination. Sharp, lustrous sphalerite crystals, to 4 mm, are nicely scattered on sparkly drusy quartz on two sides of the artistic piece. The drusy quartz preferentially cloaks most of the striking cluster of sharp satin lustre calcite spires. Complete all-around, the dominating calcite spike is pristine. Attachments and contacts on the base and part of the base are mostly out-of-sight on this very artistic combination rarity. Ex Kay Robertson Collection # 5670 and acquired from Al McGuinness in the late-1960s. The former dealer label has a 1907 date on it. Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien-Welt" November-December 2017). She assembled a nice suite of classics and rarities from this famed district. See Page 397 of the Mineralogical Record St. Andreasberg Special Issue, May-June, 2017, Vol. 48, No. 3. A significant old-time combination rarity from the famous locale. The last mine closed in 1910. Hot pink calcite fluorescence.