Stephanite & Smaltite (Skutterudite) Pearse, Harvard Univ. & Robertson Coll.

Item Description

A VERY RARE, showy and rich old-time combination thumbnail from the famous Annaberg District of the Erzgebirge. Skutterudite (smaltite) is extremely rare from Annaberg. MINDAT lists 24 localities with the species, but there are NO photos in the Gallery. Splendent metallic-gray skutterudite crystals cover the front of the subhedral stephanite crystal. Ex Kay Robertson Collection and probably acquired from John Albanese in the mid-1960s. Her label was lost during the move. 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). Formerly in the John Pearse Collection (1842-1914), a prominent metallurgist and mining engineer. He purchased a 5000-piece collection in 1865 while at the Freiberg Mining Academy and his son sold this collection to Harvard. A VERY RARE, important, historic and excellent old stephanite and skutterudite thumbnail combination from Annaberg with a fine provenance.