Tantalite-Fe and Clevelandite on Quartz (Meieran Coll.)

Item Description

A stark, vertical tantalite crystal stands upright - seemingly miraculously - on an unusual flat quartz matrix, decorated with cleavelandite as well. At 3.5 cm across and 2.4 cm tall, the tantalite is both sizable and sharp, for a matrix crystal. Although there are bigger singles of course, few unrepaired matrix specimens like this exist, and the display could not be more dramatic. The black crystal contrasts with the white cleavelandite, and then it all looks like the crystal is rising out of the cleavelandite clouds, on the quartz below. As a bonus, the whole specimen is a total floater, complete all around and without any damage or repairs. It is a 360 specimen, as we say. The quartz itself is unusual, tabular, with some weird growth forms that are difficult to describe, at the edges, so it is a beautiful crystal on a beautiful matrix, showing an absurd level of perfection and refinement for such a species. If you see a photo and don't look at our size measurements, you would really think this must be a miniature, but it is a full cabinet piece with extreme impact. For the size, aesthetics, and significance of the specimen, it should be valued around $10-12,000, fairly, we felt. The previous owner would have valued it even more highly, as it is a critical specimen in any suite of cabinet sized Afghani and Pakistani treasures. Recently deaccessed from the noted collection of Gene Meieran, who spent decades collecting rare and fine combination specimens from gem localities. A lot of verbiage for a black crystal, we know - but it IS that special.