Titanite (ex Obodda Collection) (ex George Kunz Collection)

Item Description

An historic and impressive SHARP and LUSTROUS twinned crystal of Titanite from Renfrew, Ontario, Canada. I don't know the specific locality, so I'm leaving it at Renfew. The piece is thick and blocky, not typical for the species, and has a notable chocolate brown hue. The crystal is not only large for the locality, but is in amazingly good condition considering its age. The most important aspect of the piece is that it has great historic signifcance, as it was part of the collection of the great mineralogist and mineral collector, George F. Kunz (the namesake for Kunzite). The label is sadly split in half, but clearly shows Kunz's own handwriting and an address for Hoboken, New Jersey where he spent his youth, and since Kunz was a prolific collector at the tender age of 14, this piece could date back as far as 1870. Along with Kunz's label is a label from the PERSONAL COLLECTION (not inventory) of Herb Obodda (#3180). The value of such a significant specimen with excellent pedigree is difficult to ascertain, but the Kunz label alone is worth quite a bit in my mind.