Tanzanite ex Jack Halpern &Ed David

Item Description

This sharp, elongated, unusually intense tanzanite crystal is an early survivor from the first production that really started coming to the USA in the 1990s, to collectors. It has always struck me as interesting, and markedly different than modern production. I first obtained this when I purchased the incredible collection of Dr Ed David (Nixon's White House Science Chief, by the way), in 2004. I have remembered it all these years. It is natural in color, with deep purple and blue tones as you see, and minor tones of yellow to brown when lit at the bottom, with the light going up the long (C-) axis (which proves it was not heat treated for the blue intensity). Interestingly, I see prices still on the label scans now - as I sold it, got it back, and later sold it to Jack at some point (for $7500 as you see on my sticker upon the old Ed David label). It was briefly consigned out for sale when Jack was briefly willing to part with a few things at the Denver show a few years ago, and then returned again into the collection (as you can see from his own label with a value of $15,000). This is 41 grams in mass, but it presents as a much visually larger specimen than the mass seems to indicate, and the elongated nature of it makes it really impactful. All these years, and many other tanzanites later, i never forgot this one. It is special. Simple as that.