Spinel (large crystal)

Item Description

Spinel crystals from the lesser-known Kukh-i-Lal locality in Tajikistan are rarely seen on the market. This piece dates from an older find about 25-30 years ago and features the largest individual crystal we've seen from the locality. Most Spinels from Kukh-i-Lal measure in the 1-2 cm range, but the main crystal on this specimen measures a whopping 4.7 cm! Now, the crystal is a bit crude, with some rounding and a roughness in areas, but it still shows defined octahedral form, so it's not a "lump". The color is a dark silvery-black hue, totally opaque, but it does have above average luster. There is a bit of associated Calcite and Phlogopite on the piece, along with a bit of attached matrix, for a nice touch. It's rare to find nearly 2-inch Spinel crystals from any world locality, let alone Kukh-i-Lal. A cool esoteric locality piece that is certainly unique, and you're not likely to see another like it anytime soon.
From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl (#533 Ru), 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 over the next two to three years through our various platforms.