Stephanite (circa 1870) ex Roebling & Kay Robertson Coll.

Item Description

A 1.4 cm cluster of lustrous, striated, metallic-gray stephanite crystals is aesthetically set on the starkly contrasting mounded miniature matrix of sparkly quartz points. This is a classic and important old-timer from the historic mines at St. Andreasberg. It has an outstanding provenance, having been in the collection of Washington Roebling, one of the truly great American collectors (see his bio in archives at minrec.org). His number R1135 indicates he probably acquired the piece in the 1870s or 1880s and it was purchased by him, rather than his endowment later to the museum. Specimens numbered R1 through R6000 were owned by Roebling. He passed away in 1926 and his family donated the collection (over 16000 pieces) to the Smithsonian. Ex Kay Robertson Collection # 9308, a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record). A superb thumbnail with great provenance!