Stibnite (large crystal group)

Item Description

Here we have an impressive and aesthetic large Stibnite specimen which hails from the discovery at the Wuning Mine that produced the largest crystals of the species ever seen ! This piece host a handful of large, bright, rather thick, intense metallic silver color, prismatic crystals of Stibnite, free of matrix, forming a very eye-catching display piece. There are some areas of "chipping" along the edges, so the specimens is not pristine, but you just don't see crystals of this size anymore on the market, and Wuning is not producing them anymore. A large number of the Wuning pieces were just loose singles, off matrix, so a three-dimensional group like this is certainly rare. The piece dates back to 2003-2004. Valued $3,500.
From the Dr. Stephen Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.