Sphalerite (''Ruby Jack'')

Item Description

The Elmwood Mine in Tennessee is arguably the most famous mine in the Central Tennessee Ba-F-Pb-Zn Mining District. This prestigious locale is well-known for a handful of mineral species, namely Calcite and Fluorite, but the fine quality Sphalerites from this mine are somewhat overlooked. The best of these specimens featuring gorgeous crystals with deep reddish-brown color, often referred to as "Ruby Jack". This piece is a fantastic group of sharp, highly lustrous crystals with spots of internal gemminess when backlit, showing that rich almost umber hue, free of matrix. The largest individual Sphalerite crystal measures 1.7 cm at its longest dimension. It's certainly a fine quality Sphalerite, very displayable, and would make a great addition to a collection of worldwide Sphalerites or minerals from the Elmwood Mine.
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 1891. Jack was born May 18, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, but has been a long-time resident of San Francisco. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the world encompassing over 3,200 specimens with a specific emphasis on color, quality, and style/aesthetics, which is evident in every piece. He admired specimens of all sizes from thumbnails to large cabinets and the vast majority of them rank from fine to world-class in their quality.
Above all else, Jack is considered to be the greatest gentleman in the modern era of mineral collecting. He is beloved by all those who have met him, and he truly is one of the most iconic figures in the mineral world. We recently acquired Jack's collection, and the VAST majority of these pieces will be offered here in the auctions, as we feel that everyone deserves and equal opportunity at acquiring these important, well-documented and fine quality pieces for their collections. We are honored to have the opportunity to offer Jack's treasures to everyone on a regular basis in the auctions.
We encourage you to read our blog post at https://www.irocks.com/the-jack-halpern-collection or his profile on the Mineralogical Record website https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/halpernjack/ for more information