Sphalerite (RARE Peruvian locality) (rare green crystals)

Item Description

This is the only specimen of Sphalerite we've ever had to offer from this little-known Peruvian mine which lies just WNW of the Morococha Mine proper. It's certainly a stunning example for its size, quality and composition and would make a fantastic addition to any sulfide suite or a collection of Peruvian minerals. This cabinet display specimen features a 6.4 cm cluster composed of dozens if not hundreds of fine quality, sharp, well-formed Sphalerite crystals aesthetically perched atop a matrix of Quartz crystals which range from a light milky hue on the terminations to a darker smoky color at the base/centers of the crystals. Minor Dolomite and Pyrite can be seen on the piece as well for a nice touch. The Sphalerites may appear black in reflected light, but with strong backlighting you can see they are actually GREEN inside, which is a notably rare color for Peruvian Sphalerite, as most of them are typically on the warmer side of the spectrum (gold, orange, red, etc.,) For a "black rock", this is honestly a very impressive specimen, superb for what it is from the locality and virtually impossible to find on the market today in this size and quality.
Valued $2,000.
From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl (#105 CP), a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces. He was very active mineralogically until shortly before his passing in 2020 at the age of 82. Considering his collection had a large number of pieces, it still had an unusually high standard of quality from most worldwide localities. He particularly specialized in all classics as well as minerals of the Black Forest, where he spent much time collecting. His Black Forest and German subcollections went to his good friend Wolfgang Wendel. We at The Arkenstone have the privilege of offering the remainder of this great worldwide collection through our various platforms.